What Is and What Could Have Been
by GreyGirl2008
Summary: Mark finally tells Lexie the truth about what happened in LA and suffers the consequences.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Okay so everything is charted and ready to go. Is there anything else you need, Dr. Shepherd?", Lexie asked as she handed him Mr. Turner's chart.

"No I think we are all set. Thanks, Lexie", Derek replied, "Have a good night."

"Thanks. You too."

Lexie was practically dragging her feet as she walked through the door of the apartment. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. After two craniotomies and countless pre-op and post-op workups, all she wanted to do was relax and do nothing. She sighed as she dropped her bag and her worn out body on the couch and slowly drifted to sleep.

About 2 hours later, Lexie woke to the sound of the front door closing. She sat up and saw Mark hanging his coat.

"Hey, how did it go?" she asked. He had a major skin grafting operation that he had been nervous about for days.

"It was touch and go for a while, but we were successful. How was your day?" Mark said.

"Tiring. Same old stuff, you know?" she responded.

Things had been kind of awkward between Mark and Lexie since he returned from his trip to LA. She wasn't sure if maybe she had unintentionally done or said something, but one thing was clear, something was definitely up. This wasn't the guy she knew before, cold and distant, like he opened up to her just to close her off again. Fed up of the days of constant tension, Lexie asked the question she had been holding back for days.

"What is wrong?" Lexie asked calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Mark responded.

"You've been acting strange lately. When I talk to you it's like your mind is somewhere else." she explained.

"There's just a lot of stuff going on lately. Lots of stuff." he told her.

Lexie rose from the couch and walked over to where Mark was standing and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry you're so stressed out. But you can talk to me about anything. I'm here for you." she reassured him. "There is nothing you can't tell me."

Actually there was. Mark decided that this was the time to come clean. If she really loved him then she would find it in her heart to forgive him.

"I have to tell you something." Mark said in a serious tone.

"Uh-oh. That sounds bad." she replied.

"Can we sit down please?"

Lexie and Mark made their way to the couch and sat down. There were a few moments of tense silence before Mark continued.

"Something happened in LA." Mark said

"What do you mean? Something happened with Sloane?" Lexie asked, concerned.

"No, no. Sloane is fine, she's on her way back to her mom now." he said.

"Then I don't understand." she said.

"Well, um…you see…" he stuttered.

"Mark, just spit it out." Lexie urged.

Mark sighed, "I slept with Addison."

Stunned, Lexie sat and soaked in what just happened before responding.

"What?" she lightly whispered.

"It just happened. I never meant to hurt you." Mark started.

"Please don't do that." Lexie started.

"Do what?" Mark asked.

"Give me the long, drawn-out, explanation. I don't need to know. I don't want to know. I know enough." Lexie said, on the verge of tears.

"Lex, please" Mark tried.

"I have to get out of here." Lexie said as she slowly got up, grabbed her bag and made her way out the door, leaving Mark alone in the darkness of their apartment.

Lexie got in car and drove to the only safe haven she knew, thoughts running rampant through her mind. How could he do this to her? She thought he had grown, evolved. Wasn't she different? He sure had made her feel like she was different, the only one who truly understood him. But maybe there is just one problem, she isn't Addison. Addison had always been a sore spot for Mark and Lexie made a habit of never bringing it up as to avoid causing him more unnecessary pain. He insisted they were ancient history and that he was completely devoted to this, here and now, with Lexie. So there was nothing for him to hide right? Wrong. Apparently she had been wrong all along.

Lexie parked her car and made her way to the familiar front door. She hesitated but reached out and rang the doorbell. A few minutes later the porch light lit up and Meredith sleepily opened the door.

"Lexie?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Hey, I'm so sorry, but I didn't know anywhere else to go." Lexie said.

"No, it's fine. Come in." she gestured for Lexie to enter.

"What did he do?" Meredith asked.

"It's a long story. Can we talk about it tomorrow?" Lexie pleaded.

"Sure. No problem. You can crash in my room. Derek is on-call tonight." Meredith replied.

"Great. Thank you" Lexie said.

"What are big sisters for?" Meredith said with a giggle. "Come on. It's late. Let's get some sleep."


	2. Chapter 2

Lexie woke up the next morning, dreading the fact that she had to work. She knew it was inevitable. She would have to show her face at the hospital sooner or later, but personally she preferred much much later. She wondered what exactly she would be walking into. Would Mark be there the second she walked in to try to make her see his point of view? She hoped not. She hoped that she would not have to see him at all. It would be easier if she could somehow avoid being put on Plastics. Sighing with exasperation, Lexie slowly dragged herself downstairs. Alex and Meredith were in the kitchen where Lexie helped herself to a cup of coffee.

"How are you doing?" Meredith asked cautiously.

"Never been better. Really." Lexie replied sarcastically.

"What? Did she catch Sloan doin' a nurse or somethin'?" Alex chimed in.

Meredith elbowed Alex in the rib.

"Shut up, Alex." Meredith said, "You don't have to talk about it yet if you don't want to." she told Lexie.

"No it's fine." she replied. "Remember when Mark went to LA to get Addison's help with Sloane and her baby?"

"Yeah" Meredith said, being sure to listen to every detail.

"Well, Sloane and the baby weren't the only ones getting Addison's loving care. She and Mark slept together and he decided the best time to reveal this was last night." Lexie explained.

"Ouch" Alex quipped.

"Alex, enough. Just go, okay. You're not helping." Meredith said as she pushed him out the door.

"Fine. I have to get to work anyway. To do something more productive than listen to your damn chick flick drama." Alex said.

Meredith turned back to Lexie.

"I am so sorry. I know how much you cared about Mark. But maybe he did you a favor, you are better off without him" she said trying to comfort Lexie.

"Really?" Lexie replied, trying not to let her tears fall. "Right now it's taking everything I have just to keep breathing. It hurts, Mer."

"I know. But I also know you are strong and you _will _ make it, okay?" Meredith told her.

"Okay." Lexie responded, nodding her head.

"Okay then, let's get ready for work. There's lots of people that need to be cut open." Meredith said with a smile.

Lexie walked through the doors of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital with a horrible feeling in her gut. How was she going to handle this? How would she handle seeing him, talking to him, or even working with him? She was hoping that she could get through today without having to do any of the above. The last thing she needed right now was any kind of a run-in with Mark. She wasn't ready, willing, or able to handle that yet. She made her way to the locker room to put her stuff away and change into her scrubs. She then made her way into the hallway where she immediately saw Mark. She made her way in the opposite direction trying to find anyone but Mark that she could work with today. The gods must have heard her prayer because about two minutes later, Dr. Bailey appeared by her side.

"Grey, who are you with today?" Dr. Bailey asked, point-blank.

"Um…well…um…I could work with you. That is, if you'll have me." Lexie nervously replied.

"Alright. Let's go."

They made their way to Dr. Bailey's pre-op in room 2148.

"Grey, you're presenting." Dr. Bailey ordered.

"Oh…okay." Lexie looked at her notes. "Um…Chelsea Taylor, 29-year-old female admitted for severe abdominal pain. She has received 10 of Morphine and is scheduled for an appendectomy this afternoon. Pulse is 65, BP is 120/80."

"Okay, thank you." Dr. Bailey said. "Ms. Taylor, this is Dr. Grey and she will be scrubbing in with me on your surgery this afternoon. Dr. Grey, monitor her today. She is your responsibility so I don't want any mistakes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey." Lexie nodded.

"Good." Dr. Bailey said as she left the room.

Lexie let out a sigh of relief as she took Ms. Taylor's chart to the nurses' station. She was busily charting when she noticed Mark standing at the other side of the nurses' station. It took about three seconds for their eyes to lock. Lexie closed the chart, gave it to the nurse and made her way to the quickest escape, the elevator. However, Mark was right behind her. As soon as she turned around, she was trapped.

"Lex, please, just listen to me." Mark pleaded.

"To what? What is there left to say?" Lexie asked forcefully.

"I'm so sorry, Lexie. Please, just come home. I can't lose you." Mark begged.

"You should have thought of that before you crawled into bed with Addison. I mean, everything was fine, we were doing great, at least I thought we were. Was that all a lie?" Lexie continued, "I guess it was because if everything was good, there is no way you could have done what you did."

Mark's heart was breaking with every word.

"You didn't just screw up, Mark. You broke me. You disrespected me. I don't even know where to go from here. You can't just fix this with 'I'm sorry'." Lexie told him.

"I know that, and I'm willing to work on it." Mark said.

"Yeah, well, I'm not. Okay, I'm done." Lexie said as the elevator doors opened.

"Lex-" Mark tried.

"Don't." she said, cutting him off.

Lexie made her way into the nearest stairwell and slowly broke down. It killed her to say the things she said to him but in her mind, at the very least, he deserved a tiny bit of the pain he had caused her. Would they ever find their way past this? Could she really work it out with Mark? After all, she did still love him. Lexie didn't know and, at that particular point, she wasn't so sure she cared anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

It was after midnight before Lexie was finally able to leave the hospital. It had been an exhausting day both physically and emotionally. Lexie wanted to just let go of everything, to go back to the simple life she had before, before Mark had come along and turned her world upside down. She could still remember the way he looked at her, like someone he could see himself growing old with and sharing his secrets with. She missed that and more importantly she missed him. No. She had to snap out of it. She had to realize that she and Mark would probably never be able to repair the damage that had been done. The thoughts continued to echo as she arrived at Meredith's and crashed on the bed Meredith set up for her in the attic. She was officially moving backwards. Back to the Meredith's, back to the attic, and back to being alone.

Derek sat in his office, finishing up some paperwork when he heard a light knock.

"Hey" he said, seeing Mark in the doorway, "Come on in."

"Hey man, what are you still doing here? I figured you would be heading home to Meredith by now." Mark asked.

"Yeah, just some last minute legal stuff. Besides, I figured Meredith had her hands full with Lexie." Derek mentally slapped himself. "Sorry, I know you don't want to talk about it."

"No, actually I do." Mark replied, "Derek, I just want to know how she's doing. I need to know."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"Look, I'm losing my mind here, okay? I miss her. I think I took her for granted and now…I don't know. I just…I need her to just come home." Mark told him.

"Why don't you tell her all that yourself?" Derek said.

"I have tried. She won't even look at me, let alone talk to me at all. I need your help." Mark said.

"How on earth can I help?" Derek said laughing.

"Well how did you get Meredith to forgive you after she found out you were married?" Mark asked.

"You just gotta keep apologizing until she listens and realizes you aren't going anywhere." Derek explained.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be sure that Lexie knows that." Mark said, determined.

"Good luck." Derek said as Mark left the room.

The next day, Lexie arrived early for rounds. She decided to just go about her business like usual and maybe somewhere along the line, it would get easier. She continued with her rountine and reported to Dr. Yang for her assignment.

"Three, what do you want?" Cristina asked coldly.

"I need to know where you want me today. Whose service am I on?" Lexie asked nervously.

"Oh, you know what, I don't have time for this. I have a heart transplant coming in and I'm not missing the chance to scrub in so…just…go to Plastics." Cristina said.

"What? Plastics?" Lexie asked, starting to panic, "Are you sure? I mean, wouldn't you rather-"

"Three, didn't I say I didn't have time for this. Just go to Plastics, okay. Far, far, away from me." Cristina said with a wave of her hand.

Lexie sighed. This is exactly what she prayed wouldn't happen. Whatever. It was too late to do anything about it now. With that, she straightened her shoulders, sighed, and started to muster up the courage to walk directly into the lion's den. She could do this. After all, it was work, just work. She could do this. She would be the bigger person and do this without showing any weakness. Slowly she approached the nurses' station where Mark was looking through a stack of charts.

"So it looks like I'm with you today." Lexie said.

Mark looked up and at first thought he should make sure he wasn't seeing things. He couldn't help but smile. Even though she was only with him because she was assigned to his service, it was better than not seeing her at all.

"Well, I'm glad. I've actually been meaning to-"

"No." Lexie said, cutting him off, "We are not using this time to talk or share our feelings. I can't do this now and I definitely can't do this here, okay?"

"Okay" Mark said calmly, "But I'm not going anywhere and I'm not giving up."

Lexie grabbed Mark by the arm and pulled him into the nearest on-call room. There was no way she was having this discussion in front of the entire hospital.

"What are you saying?" Lexie asked.

"I'm saying you're the one. And even if I have to apologize a million times or spend the rest of my life alone, I'm gonna prove to you that there is no one else." Mark told her.

"But Addison-" Lexie started.

"Was a one-time mistake. I'm sorry that I did it and I'm sorry that you had to hear about it, but I'm still in love with you. I have been ever since you recited the periodic table to me. It hasn't gone away and it kills me because I can't touch you or talk to you or even just be with you. And I know I'm to blame. I know it's my fault , but Lex, I love you."

"Mark, I-" Lexie tried.

"No, it's okay. I understand that you can't forgive me but it doesn't change how I feel and I just needed you to know that." he said as he reached for the doorknob.

"No, wait." Lexie said as she grabbed his hand. It was the first time she had touched him in days and he felt like he might not be able to keep himself from kissing her.

"It's okay." she continued.

"What?" Mark asked. He needed to be sure he was hearing correctly.

"It's okay." she said again, "I'm letting you off the hook. I forgive you."

Mark wasted no time grabbing Lexie and kissing her madly and deeply. He felt like what had been taken had been restored, he was finally whole again. He was sure he would do whatever it took to make sure she wasn't taken from him again.

"Wait." Lexie said, breaking away from him.

"What? What is it?" Mark asked concerned.

"I said that I forgive you, but it doesn't mean that anything is different. We still can't be together. Things aren't okay between us." Lexie explained.

"What? Lexie, come on. I'm going crazy here." Mark said.

"I understand that, I do, and I'm sorry for that, but I have to do what's right for me right now and I can't risk it again okay? It hurt too badly last time." Lexie told him.

"There's not going to be a next time, Lex." he said, "I'm never going to hurt you like that again."

"I know you're not. Because I'm not giving you the chance, Mark. I'm not going to go there again. I forgive you for what you did but that doesn't mean that I can forget it. It still hurts and I would be lying if I said it was fine and everything was going to okay. It isn't okay" Lexie said, trying desperately not to cry.

"You can't be serious. I know you still love me, Lex." Mark tried.

"You're right, I do love you and I probably always will. And if it works out in the future, great, but, right now I'm not your girlfriend and you're not my boyfriend. I'm your intern and you are my attending. That's it, nothing more." Lexie said as she walked out the door.

Her words cut Mark like a knife. He figured he would play along. Fine If that was what she wanted then that's what he would do. He wasn't giving up that easily. He was going to make her see that he was a changed man, a better man, and it was because of her. Meanwhile, on her way to the lab, Lexie couldn't help but think about the things Mark had said to her. Could he be serious? Part of her wanted to believe him, say everything was fine, and jump into his arms. But the other part of her, the logical part, knew it couldn't be that easy. She was waiting for some kind of sign, something to tell her that she was doing the right thing. Lexie turned the corner, still deep in thought, when she crashed into Meredith.

"God Mer, I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you." Lexie apologized as she helped Meredith gather the charts that fel on the floor.

"I see that. Are you okay?" she asked. Right as Lexie was about to answere, Meredith's pager went off.

"It's Bailey. 911. We'll talk later?" Meredith said as she took off.

"Sure." Lexie called after her, "Later."

Lexie decided the best thing to do would be to continue her job and forget the rest for today. She could deal with her complications later. Right now she just wanted to focus on the one thing in her life she could count on, medicine. The rest she could figure out later. Much later.


	4. Chapter 4

After scrubbing in on Dr. Bailey's appendectomy, Lexie was searching for the first on-call room she could find to get some sleep before she was paged again. She made her way into the dark room, kicked her shoes off and collapsed on the first bed. She was exhausted and her body was not the only part of her that felt it. Her mind was exhausted as well. Thoughts of Mark and the words he had said had been running through her mind all day and she wished she could figure out how to make them disappear. She laid staring at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity when she heard the door open and close. She ignored it and turned over, until she heard his voice.

"Can we talk?" she heard in a voice that was all to familiar.

She continued to face the opposite direction. "We can talk."

"How are you doing?" Mark asked.

"Just peachy." she said sarcastically.

"Look we can't avoid this forever. I just wanna know where I stand with you." he said, "I'm losing it here, Little Grey."

She smiled as she remembered how much she missed him calling her that. She then slowly turned over to face Mark and let out a sigh.

"You know it's just as hard for me as it is for you. Maybe even harder. I haven't been able to let you go. You're still with me, everywhere." Lexie explained.

" Is there any way we can work this out. I don't want to—I _can't_ lose you, Lexie." Mark told her.

"Mark-" Lexie tried.

"No just let me finish." he continued, "I know I screwed up and if I could go back and change it I would do it in a flat second, but I can't. All I can do is continue to ask for you to forgive me and give me a second chance and that it something that I will continue to do for as long as it takes. So just know that I am not going anywhere and I'm not going to hurt you again. When you are ready, I will be too." he said.

Lexie continued to sit in silence as Mark made his way to the door.

"Okay." Lexie said, barely above a whisper.

"What?" Mark said, trying to make sure he wasn't hearing things.

"Okay. I'm ready…I think I can try again." She said while she fidgeted with the blanket. She was still unsure, but if there was a chance that things could work for them, she felt like she owed it to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I am." she answered.

"Lexie—" Mark sighed as he kissed her with all the passion and heat he had been holding on to for days, "God I have missed you."

"I missed you too." she whispered as she hugged him tightly. She had almost forgotten how good it felt to have his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry for everything, for what I did with Add-"

"Mark, can we not talk about that anymore." Lexie asked. " I just want to try to get past everything."

"Absolutely. God, I love you." he said before kissing her again.

Later that afternoon, Lexie made her way to the cafeteria for lunch. She wasn't incredibly hungry but figured she should have something in her system. After settling for a small salad, Lexie sat down and began to play with her food.

"Hey, girlie." She heard Meredith say

"Hey" Lexie replied. "How was your bowel obstruction?"

"It went well. How was your appendectomy? " she asked.

"Routine." Lexie said.

"What about Mark?" Meredith said, trying to be cautious in case Lexie didn't want to talk about it.

"Good, actually. We are gonna try to patch things up and smooth things over." she told her.

"Wow, that's great. I don't think you will be sorry. I think he really does love you." Meredith said.

"I know. I just hope you're right."

"Calm down, you have nothing to worry about, you'll see." Meredith told her.

"Okay, this cheery attitude is starting to creep me out. You're like happy." Lexie said, confused.

"It's the new bright and shiny me. Get used to it."

"Ooo-kay" Lexie said laughing. "I should get going."

"Alright, catch you later."

Lexie discarder her trash and made sure she focused on her work. She was tired and all she wanted was to go home, bury herself in her blankets, and sleep. After some last minute charting, Lexie was slowly making her way out of the hospital when Mark caught up to her.

"Hey there"

"Hey" she answered.

"Where are you headed?" he asked.

"Home" she answered, "I'm absolutely wiped out. Long day."

"You mean Meredith's?" he said, "That's not home. Why don't you come back to the apartment? We can pick up your stuff tomorrow."

"Don't you think it's a little soon?" Lexie asked.

"I might, if I didn't know for sure that this was going to work. What's it going to take for you to understand that it's different now? You are the only girl I want." Mark asked.

Lexie paused for a moment before replying, "Are you sure?"

"I have never been unsure about this, I promise." he said.

"Okay, shut up and let's go, I'm tired." she told him.

With that he put his arm around her and they walked to his car together. Something told Lexie that maybe this was right after all. It certainly felt right and maybe, just maybe, things could work out better this time. There was no denying how she felt about Mark. She decided that she had to just trust it and dive all the way in. Fall and trust that Mark would catch her. Mark held her close to him as they walked to the car and she realized, she had never felt safer.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you all so much for all the positive feedback I have gotten on this story. I'm extremely flattered and shocked that so many of you enjoyed it. **____** Sorry it took forever to update…been busy with work and life and haven't had much time to update, but now here it is…hope you enjoy. **___

It was the next morning when Lexie woke up in the apartment and the bed that has once been all too familiar to her. She slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. When she rolled over, the space next to her was empty. At first she began to wonder, was this a mistake? How could he just up and leave? All her thoughts were soon relieved when she found a note on the bedside table.

_Lex-_

_Had to go in early for a surgery. You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you. Make yourself at home and I will see you later today._

_Xoxo,_

_Mark_

The note made her smile. Maybe she was too neurotic for her own good. She slowly made her way to the kitchen and put a bagel in the toaster before pouring herself a glass of orange juice. It was quiet and Lexie kind of liked it that way. It gave her a chance to think. She could never do that at Meredith's with the constant revolving door of guests. But, of course, she couldn't be bitter. Meredith was there for her when Mark wasn't. After finishing her so-called breakfast, Lexie decided to tidy the place up. She might as well be of some use as long as she wasn't on call.

She cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed the floor, and alphabetized Mark's medical books. She had just finished Mark's laundry and began putting them away neatly in their proper places when she noticed something in Mark's sock drawer. It was small and anyone could have missed it but for Lexie, it couldn't have been bigger. A tiny, black velvet box sat snug in the corner of the drawer. Lexie thought to herself. Should she pick it up? Should she pretend she never saw it? Could she really do either? It felt like hours ticked by before, against her better judgement, Lexie picked up the small box and opened it to find the one thing she both expected and hoped she wouldn't find. It was gorgeous. Flawless. It took her breath away. It was then she realized she couldn't hide this from Mark. He would know. She slowly walked back to the living room and sat on the couch, placing the small box on the coffee table. And she waited.

_3 hours later_

Mark walked in the apartment and sighed with relief.

"You would not believe the day I had today. I am so exhausted. How was your day?" he said as he walked over to the couch where Lexie sat in silence.

"Lex, what's wrong?"

"I decided to help you out and your laundry since I know you don't really have the time and I found this" she said, picking up the box,"in your sock drawer."

"Oh. That." Mark responded.

"Oh? That's all you have to say is oh?" Lexie asked.

"Well, it's not the end of the world that you found it first. I would have rather have it be a surprise, but this is fine too." he said.

"Lexie I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." he continued as he proceeded to get down on one knee. "I know we have had our rough patches and some people may say that it means we shouldn't be with each other but I think of it as just making us stronger. I have never felt the way I feel when I am with you and I would give anything to have the chance to wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life."

"Mark-" Lexie tried.

"I'm not done yet." he said, cutting her off. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you so, I ask you, Lexie Grey, will you marry me?"

Lexie sighed, at a loss for words. A few moments of silence passed before Mark broke it again.

"Babe, this is the part where you answer." he laughed.

Lexie slowly nodded her head. "Yes. Yes, of course." She said, on the verge of tears.

Mark carefully placed the ring on Lexie's finger before kissing her like he never had before. It was official. They were moving forward and she had agreed to be his forever. They sat together on the couch, Lexie curled up next Mark resting her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry I found it and ruined the whole thing." Lexie said, looking up at him.

"Don't be." he answered. "This was perfect too. As long as I have you, it's perfect."

"Awww…it's like a Hallmark card." Lexie giggled.

"Shut up." Mark responded.

"Is your pride wounded? I promise I won't tell anybody." she teased.

"Better not. You are the only one who sees this side of me Little Grey." he told her.

"Thank you." she said.

"For what?" Mark asked, confused.

"For everything. I'm really happy right now and that is in large part because of you and I just don't think I thank you enough." Lexie said.

"Yeah well that goes both ways." Mark replied.

Mark and Lexie decided on Chinese for dinner and were watching a movie before Lexie fell asleep halfway through. Mark quietly turned the TV off and carefully picked Lexie up, carrying her into the bedroom. He gently placed her on her side of the bed and placed the covers over her before crawling in beside her. He looked over at Lexie, fast asleep and he knew that this was it. This is how he wanted to spend the rest of his nights, with Lexie right beside him. He never felt more safe or secure with any decision he had made, yet somehow he knew, Lexie was the one for him. And this time, it was forever.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it has taken ages since I last updated...life in the real world has kept my fantasy world a little further than I would like :) Anyways, here is the update. I hope everyone likes it and thank you so much for the kind reviews and all of your patience...you guys rock my socks :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters...that is purely the creation of miss Shonda Rhimes herself, and of course, ABC.**

Chapter 6

Wow. She couldn't actually comprehend it. She was engaged, getting married, a fiancee. No matter how she worded it, it scared her all the same. Was she ready to be a wife? Lexie hated that these thoughts crept into her mind all the time, but she couldn't help it. Wasn't it only natural to have doubts? Lexie had finally had enough and decided to leave the suddenly small apartment and go someplace a little more comforting.

She pulled up Meredith's driveway and walked in the front door that was still so familiar.

"Mer?" Lexie called out.

She heard silence.

"Meredith?" She tried again.

Derek made his way from the kitchen. "She isn't home right now."

"Oh...I'm sorry. Um...When will she be home?" Lexie asked uncomfortably.

"I'm not sure, she took off with Cristina so it could be days." he said laughing. Derek could see that Lexie was bothered and something was off. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." she lied.

"Lexie, you can talk to me. That's what post-it brother-in-laws are for." he said with his trademark McDreamy smile. "Come on, let's sit."

Derek led Lexie to the couch and sat with her.

"Okay, fess up." he told her.

"Well you know Mark..." she started.

"You mean my best friend? Why, yes, I do." Derek replied.

"Well, he proposed." Lexie continued.

"Yeah, Meredith told me. Congratulations, by the way. You must be so happy. Mark's a lucky man." Derek said.

"Yeah, but that's just it," she said, finally letting it out. "I don't know if I am ready for all of this stuff!"

"What stuff?" Derek asked, confused.

"THIS! The ring, the apron, the minivan in the driveway, the kids in the front yard. I am no wife, Derek. I am not even a real doctor, yet. I am still growing up and Mark...he is done. He already is the man that he is going to be for the rest of him life. I am still figuring myself out. What if the girl I turn out to be isn't what he's looking for?" Lexie asked, starting to break down.

"Lexie, you know that's not going to happen. Mark loves you, and that isn't something he does often. If he let you in then it proves that you are worth it to him." Derek said as her rubbed circles on her back, trying to soothe her.

"You don't know that. I am scared right now. I am scared that at some point Mark will realize he can do better and then I am gonna be left alone with this aching feeling in my gut again and I don't think I will make it through it next time." Lexie spilled.

"Don't." Derek said. "Don't give yourself reasons to walk away. If you are feeling this way, you have to talk to Mark. It is the only thing that will help you."

Lexie nodded.

"You are an exceptionally amazing girl, Lexie." Derek continued. "You are beautiful, intelligent, and you have one of the biggest and kindest hearts I have ever seen. You are truely one of a kind, Lexie, and if you give yourself the chance, I am sure you would be an amazing wife."

"You really mean that?" she asked.

"I do." he told her.

"Thank you." Lexie said as she got up.

"Anytime." he answered.

"Hey Derek" Lexie said, turning around "You're pretty amazing too, you know."

"You're gonna be fine, Grey." Derek smiled.

Lexie turned and made her way out the front door. She felt so much better about things with Mark. Who knew that all it took was a conversation with Derek, of all people, to set her straight again. She was finally starting to feel at ease and began to make her way home.

Lexie made her way through the front door and felt a rush of relief. She made her way to the bedroom and felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Weird. Maybe she just got a little vertigo, it happens right? It wasn't long before the nausea followed and Lexie was in the bathroom, hovering over the toilet, emptying her last meal. This was so not good. _Not good at all._ she thought to herself. Moments later she heard the front door.

"Lexie, I'm home." she heard Mark call out.

Lexie continued to sit on the bathroom floor, completely motionless. She had no energy and no will to move at this point. She just wanted to disappear.

"Lex?" Mark called again. He made his way through thr bedroom. "There you are." he said as he stood in the doorway.

"What's wrong? Why are you on the floor?" he asked, rushing to her side.

"I don't feel good." was all Lexie could get out before she was back to the toilet.

Mark held her hair back and rubbed her back as Lexie got sick.

"Did you eat something funny?" he asked, once she had regained her composure and leaned against the wall again.

"No. I don't think so." she replied. "I don't know what it is."

"Maybe you should see a doctor." Mark suggested.

"No, I'll be fine. I am just going to brush my teeth and get some sleep. I am sure it's nothing." she said.

"Okay, well I will join you." Mark said.

"You don't have to. I am fine." she told him.

"Lex, you don't feel good. I am going to lay down with you until you feel better." he insisted.

Lexie finished brushing her teeth and slowly made her way out to the bedroom. She found that if she moved slowly, the nausea didn't hit as hard. She crawled into her giant, soft bed and collapsed on her pillow. She felt an arm around her waist and she felt relief. It was in that moment that she realized that maybe this is exactly what she wanted and needed. That one person who could make her feel better at her absolute worst.

The next morning, Lexie woke to the smell of breakfast and the sudden need to revisit the bathroom again. She had thought this was a fluke, a 24-hour bug, but now, she was starting to get nervous. Maybe Mark was right, maybe she should see a doctor. She slowly made her way out of the bathroom to find Mark in the kitchen.

"Hey, there's my girl." he said with a grin. "Feeling better?"

"Not quite." she answered.

"Well I already made you an appointment with Dr. Scott." he told her. "I thought we would be better off safe then sorry. I know you said you were fine, but I don't want to risk it."

"Okay." Lexie answered. "I'll go."

Lexie arrived at Dr. Scott's for her appointment right on time. She made a habit of always being punctual, only this time she had kind of wished that she had decided to ditch or at least be late. She had no idea what she was walking into and part of her was scared to death. She filled out the proper paperwork and took a seat in the waiting room.

"Lexie Grey." the nurse called.

"Right here." she said as she got up and made her way to the back.

The nurse took jer vitals and led her to a room.

"Dr. Scott will be right in to see you. If you just put on this gown and have a seat on the exam table, he should be in shortly." the nurse told her as she handed her a light blue exam gown.

"Okay. Thank you so much." Lexie said as she took the gown.

Lexie got undressed and did as she was instructed. It felt like sje was waiting for an eternity before Dr. Scott finally made an appearance.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Grey. What seems to be the problem, today?"

"I have been having problems with nausea and dizziness." she replied.

"When did this start?" he asked.

"Yesterday. I thought it might be some kind of flu bug or something."

"Well let's get some blood and let's get a urine sample and we will see what's going on with you today, okay?" Dr. Scott said.

_2 hours later_

"Ms. Grey, we got your lab work back and I think we may have found the cause of your nausea and vertigo." he informed her. "Congratulations, you are pregnant."

"I'm- I'm sorry. Can you repeat that please?" Lexie seemed lost.

"Ms. Grey, you are pregnant. Congratulations." he said again.

"What?" she exclaimed. "No, that can't be right. I was using the pill. There is no way that-"

"The pill is not always 100% effective." he told her. "Well, here is your paperwork and I took the liberty of setting up an appointment with Dr. Morgan, our OB-GYN for next week. Thanks for coming in."

The doctor left the room and left Lexie completely flabbergasted. What was she going to do? Clearly, she had to tell Mark. What if he freaked out? It's not like she could really blame him. She was freaking out on the inside as well. She continued to be consumed by these thoughts as she made her way through the front door of her apartment.

"Hey, you're home." she said when she saw Mark.

"Yep, early day." he replied. "How did your appointment go?"

Lexie felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. This was it. Do or die.

"Can we sit?" Lexie asked.

"Is everything okay?" he asked as they sat down on the couch.

"They ran some tests and they found out why I have been feeling so funky." Lexie began "It turns out that-"

"Lexie, spit it out." Mark urged.

"I'm pregnant." she said.

"What?" Mark asked, surprised.

"Pregnant. Knocked up. With child." Lexie said.

"No, I-I get it. I'm just surprised." he said.

"We can figure it out though, I mean, if you're not ready or this isn't what you want." she said.

"Are you kidding me? Of course, I want this. I am so happy, Lexie. Come here." Mark said as he pulled her close to him.

"I love you so much and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that we are going to be parents." he told her before moving to her belly. "Hey there, little one. This is your daddy. I love you."

Lexie couldn't help but smile and think that maybe everything was starting to work itself out. She was finally happy and she hoped that things would stay like this.

**Sorry this chapter was a little rough. Let me know what you think. Read and review and once again thank you all for your support and patience. It's always nice to feel like your work is appreciated. THANKS GUYS! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm baaaack! I know it has taken longer than I had originally promised, but life has had some interesting things to throw my way. Anyway, I figure it is better late than never. Thanks for all the positive feedback I have gotten on this story. When I started it I really didn't think it would get anywhere but I am so happy it did. Enough about me...So once again...ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters. Shonda Rhimes and ABC are the ones who have all the control.**

It had been a couple months since Lexie's life changing news and it seemed that everyone at Seattle Grace-Mercy West couldn't be happier or more supportive. Meredith seemed pretty interested in being an aunt, Derek was super supportive, Cristina acted like she could care less, and Callie and Arizona had already began buying baby clothes. The only problem Lexie had was her growing baby bump. Small as it was, it seemed to get in the way...a lot.

It was close to the end of Lexie's shift and she could not have been more tired. It seemed that the energy needed to compensate for the baby took more out of her than she had expected. She was filling out last minute charts when Mark snuck up behind her.

"Hey you." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his hands on her growing belly.

"Hi." she responded, sleepily.

"Babe, are you okay?" Mark asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. I just...it's been a long day, looooong day." she told him.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself too hard, you should sit and put your feet up. Come on." he tried.

"I am fine, Mark. I'm pregnant, not elderly." she snapped before slamming her chart closed and storming off.

Either more was going on with Lexie than she was letting on or the hormones were getting the best of her. Mark hoped that whatever it was would resolve itself soon. He hated seeing her so miserable and not being able to do anything to fix it or make her feel better.

Mark met Lexie in the lobby after their shifts and proceeded talking to her with caution.

"How was your day?" he tried.

"It was fine. I'm just tired." she told him. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. You were concerned and I practically bit your head off. It's just that everyone has been treating me like I am Little Miss Breakable now. I am having a baby. It doesn't mean I can't do anything for myself anymore."

"Who is treating you like you're breakable?" he asked her.

"Everyone." she continued. "Meredith monitors my eating habits, Derek is always making sure I am hydrated, Jackson and Alex won't let me lift anything heavier than 10 pounds, and you don't help either."

"What did I do?" Mark asked, he genuinely seemed lost.

"Seriously? 'Hey babe, you should go put you feet up.'" Lexie said in her best imitation of Mark. "Do you have any idea how many times you tell me that every day?"

Mark protested. "First of all, I don't sound like that and second of all, I am just worried. You two are the most important people in my life. I don't want anything to happen to either of you, small or otherwise."

"I understand that, Mark. Really I do, but you have to let me live my life. I can't just crawl in a hole, you know?" she told him.

"I know. I just wanna protect you and our baby for as long as I can." Mark told her.

"Okay but there is protective and then over the top. Just tone it down a little. 'Kay?" Lexie asked.

"Okay" Mark agreed.

"Thank you." she said with a smile.

That night Mark and Lexie walked into their apartment and fell into their nightly rountine. Both would shower, separately of course, since the very idea of Mark touching her body right now made Lexie cringe. Then they would brush their teeth and crawl into the huge king sized bed they shared. Mark tried to put his best moves on Lexie the last few nights, but it seemed her current mix of crankiness and hormones were not going to help his game. Lexie laid next to him in the darkness, trying desperately to fall asleep. She tossed and turned endlessly, moaning every few minutes. Finally, laced with worry, Mark asked the one question he had learned to regret.

"Lex, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just can't seem to get comfortable. Everything is in the way." she complained. "My boobs, my belly, everything!"

_Here we go again._ Mark thought to himself. "I'm sorry babe. I wish I could help you."

"This is all your fault you know? If you hadn't have knocked me up, I wouldn't be having this issue right now." Lexie shot at him.

"Baby, I am sorry. If I could I would take all of your discomfort from you." he offered.

"It doesn't matter. God, I am such a whale right now. A fat, ugly, whale." Lexie whined.

Mark had heard enough. "Hey, you are not ugly. You are beautiful. And you are not fat." he continued. "Lexie, you are perfect and I wish to God you could see what I see when you look in the mirror. You are beyond words, Lexie Grey. So don't you dare start thinking less of yourself. I won't listen to it."

"I'm sorry." Lexie said. "My hormones have just been so out of whack."

"It's okay. They said it should get better in the second trimester." Mark told her.

"Where did you- You read the baby books?" Lexei asked, touched that Mark would do such a thing. "You read the baby books."

"Well I need to know what exactly my girl is going through. So yeah, I read the baby books." he told her.

"I love you so much." Lexie said as she hugged him.

"I love you, Lex." he answered.

As Lexie went in for a kiss, Mark went for her stomach

"I love you too, little one." he said.

"Hey, what-" Lexie started.

"Sorry" Mark laughed as he kissed her.

This was going to be fine. Lexie would make a good mom and she could tell that Mark was going to make a great father. She knew she was in great hands and she began to find herself counting down the days till the human inside her made its grand appearance. Lexie was happy, but she was also scared out of her mind. However, somehow she knew as long as Mark was there. It didn't matter. She would be fine. She had never felt safer and more at ease.

**I know this chapter was shorter but I really did try. I am battling some fierce writer's block. If any of you have any idea on how to combat this, please do not hesitate to share. Anyway, you know the drill, read and review. Let me know if I should keep this going.**

**LOVE & PEACE GUYS!**

**XOXO**


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys! Once again it has been far too long since I have updated the old thing. I tend to have moments of ADD when it comes to this, but I am trying to get better. So without anymore waiting, here is the next installment.

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of it's characters...but if I did...the things I could do. : )

Chapter 8

"Four months." That was all Lexie could think. "Four more months of this."

Lexie was already tired of being the bigger, crankier, more tired version of herself. She couldn't for the life of her figure out how anyone could consider pregnancy to be a 'beautiful experience'. She had read her baby books a million times and each one told her how rewarding and magical her pregnancy would be. Did that include the extreme hunger, swollen everything, and the constant urge to pee? Maybe it is just one of those things they conveniently leave out so you will want to get pregnant, she thought to herself. However, she tried to be positive about the whole situation, mostly because she knew Mark was excited, and she didn't want to put a damper on the one thing she knew he cared about more than absolutely anything in the world. So when Mark approached her at the nurses' station, she put on the sweetest smile she could muster.

"Hey you." Lexie greeted sweetly.

"Hey, how are you doing? You feeling okay?" Mark asked, slightly concerned. "Because, if you need to rest-"

"Don't even." she cut him off. "We have had this discussion. I do not want to be babied."

"Alright. Alright. I can't help it. I am just worried that you might be pushing yourself too hard." he replied. "It is only because I care."

"Yeah and that is why I let you get away with it. Besides, I am getting ready to head out anyway. I will go home and put my feet up, I promise." she held her hand up in oath while she gave him that smile that made him weak in the knees.

"Thank you." he said before kissing her quickly and heading to Plastics.

"So I'll see you at home then?" Lexie called after him.

"Yeah, I'll just be a couple hours." Mark replied.

On the way home, Lexie started to become bombarded with thoughts of her future. _I'm having a baby. I'm getting married. I'm still in med school_. These were just a few of the terrifying ideas she had running through her head. She was having second thoughts. She entered her apartment and decided that maybe a shower would help to wash her worries away. She let the hot water fall over her while she closed her eyes and tried to put herself somewhere else, anywhere else for just a few minutes. Twenty minutes later, she was in bed and she felt worse. No matter what she did, she couldn't seem to get rid of the sinking feeling in her gut. The one that told her that something about this just wasn't right.

"Lex, I'm home." she heard Mark call as he walked in the front door.

"In here." she mumbled from the bedroom.

"Hey, there you are." he said as he walked to the bedside, and kissed her on the forehead.

Something about her was off, he just knew. As much as he didn't want to, he decided to ask the question she hated the most.

"Lexie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she answered.

"Don't lie to me, Grey. Something's up, I can feel it. What is wrong?" he prodded.

She sighed, "I don't think I can do this."

"Do what?" Mark asked, confused.

"This!" Lexie yelled, throwing the blanket off to reveal her small bulge. "I can't be a mom! I have no clue what I'm doing!"

"Okay, wait-" he tried.

"No. I don't want to do this. I am changing my mind. My mind is changed." she told him.

"Um, Lexie...it's kinda too late for that. You can't just change your mind at this point, okay? This is happening, whether we want it to or not. I know we didn't plan for this. I know this is a curveball for us, but it is also a miracle. Lex, I want this with you." he said as he touched her stomach, "I want this baby with you. No one else, just you. You can do this. You are the strongest, most stubborn woman I have ever met, so there is no way you are going to give up on this. I won't let you. Do you understand?"

"Fine." Lexie sighed, "but you didn't have to give me the whole speech. I kinda got the point after 'it's kinda too late for that'".

"You drive me absolutely crazy." Mark rolled his eyes as he pulled her into a hug. "You can't scare me like that again, you understand?"

"I didn't mean to. It just kinda happened, okay? I can't control the crazy things that pop into my head." she told him.

"Are you okay now?" he asked, cautiously.

"Yeah. I just can't wait for this belly to be gone. It's always in the way." Lexie said.

"I think it makes you look cute." Mark pointed out, "I kinda like this version of you."

"That's sweet...but you're still not getting any action tonight." she replied.

"Okay, I forfeit. I just don't get why you won't let me touch you." Mark said.

"Because you touching me is what caused this." Lexie said, pointing to her stomach.

"Hey, sweetheart. It takes two to tango." he defended.

"I get to blame you. Until this tiny person is no longer housed in my body, I get to blame you." Lexie stated, "I'm tired. I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

"Okay. I'll be right here." he told her.

The next morning, Lexie awoke to find the bed next to her empty and a note.

_Lexie,_

_Had an early Rhinoplasty. Please take it easy today._

_Remember to eat and stay hydrated._

_I love you, _

_Mark_

Lexie sighed as she rolled over and tried desperately to fall back to sleep. With no luck, she slowly made her way to the kitchen and began to prepare her breakfast. She ate, then showered, and got ready for work. As she walked the short distance across the street to the hospital, she smiled to herself. She felt better about things and she wasn't afraid anymore. As soon as she made it to the surgical floor, she was greeted by Mark, who quickly kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey there, Little Grey."

"Hey. You are particularly chipper this morning. What do you have in there?" she asked, inspecting the coffee he was holding.

"What? You aren't excited?" Mark asked, confused.

"Excited? For?" Lexie replied, clearly not getting where Mark was going with this.

"The ultrasound. We get to find out the sex today. Remember? We put it on the calendar last month." Mark told her, "You didn't remember?"

"Oh, God! I'm sorry! I feel like such an idiot, I totally spaced. I didn't think that was today." She told him.

"Yeah. We should go, we have like five minutes to get up there." Mark said, urging her.

Lexie felt uncomfortable in the waiting area. It was filled with babies. Pictures of babies, mothers with their infants, everything that she was deathly afraid of. She tried to push the thoughts aside and just think of Mark. _You can do this_.

"Grey!" the nurse called, snapping Lexie from her thoughts.

"Let's go." Lexie said, grabbing Mark and practically dragging him out of his chair.

Twenty five minutes later, Dr. Scott finally made his way through the door. In that instant, all the fear Lexie had felt melted away and all she could feel was excited. She couldn't wait to know exactly what she was carrying. She pictured a little boy with his dad's trademark smirk and a little girl with her chestnut hair.

"Ah, Ms. Grey, we meet again." the doctor greeted.

"Yes, sir. We were supposed to find out the sex of our baby today." Lexie told him, smiling at Mark.

"Alrighty, then. Let's have a peek then, shall we?" he asked as he prepped her belly and continued with the ultrasound.

"Okay, let's see", the doctor continued as both Mark and Lexie studied the screen. "There is the head right there and let's see if we can get a better look here...okay, there it is. Congratulations, it looks like you have a very healthy little girl in there."

"A girl?" Lexie asked in shock, "Like a girl? Are-are you sure?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm pretty certain. Congratulations again, you guys." Dr. Scott said before leaving the room.

Lexie looked at Mark, who seemed speechless.

"Hey, you okay over there?"

"A girl? A baby girl?" he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you wanted a boy, but it's still a-" she tried.

"No", he started. "This is exactly what I wanted. A baby girl? I can't believe I have a daughter...Lex, we have a daughter."

"I know." she smiled at him.

"Thank you." he said hugging her, "God, I love you."

"I love you, too...and our little girl." Lexie said with a giggle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of its characters or ideas. That is pure genius from Shonda Rhimes and ABC Studios.**

Chapter 9

Meredith's house had become a shelter of sorts. Everyone ran around getting ready for work, just like they always did. Lexie ended up sleeping over after what she told Mark was "sisterly bonding", but was actually a way for her to get away from Mark's constant watchful eye. She needed a small vacation from him and she knew, on some level, so did he. If these pregnancy hormones were driving her crazy, she could only imagine what they were doing to him. Meredith was pouring herself a cup of coffee while Lexie sat at the dining room table.

"This is not working for me." Lexie said, exasperated.

"What now?"Meredith asked, clearly annoyed.

Lexie sighed. "Mer...I can't tie my shoes."

Meredith giggled. "Seriously? Lexie, you are something else." she said as she made her way around to tie Lexie's shoes.

"Please don't laugh at me. The other day Mark practically had a field day over the fact that I put on two completely different shoes all because I can't see past this." she said gesturing to her growing child.

"Tell me he took a picture."

"Mer." Lexie whined.

"Okay. I'm sorry. Look on the bright side. You are in your sixth month. This is the home stretch. You can do this, and when you do it will be totally worth it. You'll see." Meredith reassured her.

"I know." Lexie said. "But it seems like the further I get, the worse it becomes. The heartburn, the sore breasts, the nausea, constant need to pee."

"Okay." Meredith cut her sister off. "Enough with the joys of motherhood."

"Trust me, I'm not feeling the joy."

Meredith, Lexie, April, Alex, and Jackson made their way to the hospital together just as they had so many times before. As they walked through the front doors, Lexie saw Mark walking toward her.

"Hey, you." he greeted her, as he walked with her.

"Hey." Lexie replied, yawning.

"Was that a yawn?" Mark teased. "Come on, Grey."

"Oh, shut it." she replied. "I tried to get as much sleep as I could, but this little one decided that she wasn't tired. She kicked and moved all...night...long."

"Babe, I'm sorry." he said, as they entered the doctor's lounge.

"It's a little late for sorry, mister." she smiled, "I'm gonna grab a cup of coffee."

"Ah, ah, ah." Mark grabbed her wrist. "I don't think so. We can get you a nice cup of herbal tea. Come on."

"Mark, this is not an herbal tea morning, okay? I need coffee. You can't just cut me off. One cup will not hurt either of us." She said as she poured her coffee.

"Lexie." Mark said, warning.

Lexie hesitated.

"Damn it." she said, slamming the coffee on the counter. "I hate you."

"You love me." he replied.

"Not right at this moment I don't." She said making her way out of the lounge.

After changing into her scrubs, Lexie made her way to Dr. Bailey for her assignment.

"Dr. Bailey, how are you this morning?"

"How am I?" she answered. "I have idiots for residents, Grey, idiots. It is taking all the strength the good lord gave me not to strangle the life out of them."

"I'm sorry?" Lexie said, unsure of what the correct response was.

"Do me a favor and just stay on pre and post-ops with the other Grey. You two are the only ones I can count on to not screw it up." Bailey told her.

"Yes ma'am." she replied.

Four hours and countless patients later, Lexie and Meredith made their way to the cafeteria for lunch.

"I can't believe Mr. Carter just coded like that?" Lexie said, as they walked.

"It's okay, Lexie. We got him back. It will be fine. Don't worry." Meredith said.

"I know. Sorry." she said, as she went straight for the coffee and began puring herself a cup.

"Um, Lexie, are you sure you should be doing that?" she said, gesturing to the coffee in her hand.

"Why, Mer? It's not like it is going to hurt anything?" Lexie argued.

"Well, Mark said-" Meredith started.

"Mark said what?" Lexie countered. "It is one cup and it's not like Mark is ever gonna find out as long as you don't rat me out."

"I'm not saying a word." Meredith promised, slightly afraid to argue with her sister any longer.

The pair paid and made their way to a table where Cristina and Alex were already sitting.

"It's ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous." Cristina said.

"What is?" Meredith asked.

"Teddy." Cristina explained. "She refuses to teach me because, she says I'm not willing to listen. I listen."

Alex scoffed.

"What are you laughing at, Evil Spawn?" she asked.

Lexie's eyes widened as she sipped at her coffee.

"You don't listen to anyone. You're in love with the sound of your own voice."Alex said.

"Oh really?" Cristina argued. "Seriously?"

"Okay, guys. Stop it." Meredith interrupted. "Both of you, just stop."

Lexie's pager went off.

"Ugh!" Lexie groaned. "I gotta run."

"Be careful." Meredith yelled after her.

Lexie made her way down the hall to find Dr. Bailey when Mark appeared in front of her.

"Hey there, gorgeous." he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hey" Lexie replied, trying to move past him.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked.

"Nothing. I just got a page." she answered.

"What are you drinking?" Mark asked, suspicious.

"Tea."

"Mm-hm. Then you won't mind if I-" Mark sniffed the cup in her hand as Lexie cringed. "Alexandra Grey."

"I'm sorry, okay? But you wouldn't let me have it and I needed it, Mark." She tried.

"You did not need it. Hand it over." he said, sternly.

"Fine." she said, surrendering her beverage. "I am so sick of this. Are you happy now, you coffee Nazi?"

"I love you, too." he said, as she walked away.

Later that night, Lexie tiredly made her way down the hall to her apartment. She unlocked and opened the door to find Mark sitting on the couch watching the Seahawks game.

"Hey, honey." he said.

"Hi." she replied. "Look. I'm sorry about earlier. I was just frustrated and I wanted caffiene and I took it out on you, I'm sorry."

"I understand. I just want everything to ge perfect. I don't want to risk anything when it comes to this little girl, and seeing you with the coffee, it just freaked me out a little." Mark explained.

"So we were both wrong?" she asked.

"In a way, I guess. I still think you should stick with the herbal tea and the prenatal smoothies that we have. It would make me feel better." he told her.

"Um, no. The smoothies taste like ass, but I will drink the herbal tea if it will make you happy." she promised.

"Thank you." Mark said.

"Anything for this little one." Lexie said. "Oh, speaking of, I thought of a name today and I think I would run it past you."

"Okay. Go for it." Mark said.

"How do you feel about Haley?" she said. "Haley Grace Sloan? I think it works."

Mark paused. "I think it's perfect." he smiled. "I love it."

"Great." she said. "I can't wait to meet her. I wonder if she will have your eyes."

"If she knows what's good for her, she will look just like her mom." Mark said.

"You are too much sometimes." Lexie said, kissing him.

"Ready for bed?" he asked her with his trademark smirk.

"Always." Lexie said, laughing.

It was the first time they had sex in a while and evrything about it was beautiful. Lexie hadn't realized how much she missed him, how much he missed her. She fell asleep extremely happy that night with Mark's arms wrapped around her waist. A few hours later, Lexie got up to make her middle of the night trip to the bathroom, something that had become all too frequent. She was washing her hands when she felt suddenly light-headed. She splashed some cold water on her face and took a couple steps before collapsing to the ground, unconcious. Mark heard a small crash and slowly made his way out of bed and to the bathroom door.

"Lex." he called as he knocked. "Lex, is everything okay?"

She didn't answer.

"Lexie." he tried again.

Nothing.

Mark opened the door.

"Oh, my god, Lexie."

**Sorry for the slight cliffhanger, but I figure you gotta go big or go home. As always reviews are always greatly appreciated and I will try my best to update soon. Peace & Love guys.**

**xoxoxoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! So I think this is the quickest I have ever updated but I am trying to do better. I loved the reviews and I love the fact that there are so many of you who love this story. It makes it totally worth it. So...enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** **Once again, I own nothing except for a really fertile imagination. All rights belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.**

Chapter 10

"What the hell happened?" was all Derek said as a gurney holding Lexie was pushed into the emergency room of Seattle Grace Mercy West hospital.

"I don't- I don't know. I just found her on the floor." Mark could barely speak.

"Alright, I'm gonna go see what I can find out." Derek told him.

"I'm going with her." Mark protested.

"No, Mark." Derek responded. "You are in no condition to be in there with her. Besides, we need to figure out what's going on and we can't do that with you hovering and watching our every move, so stay here."

Derek could see that Mark was completely lost. Lexie and his child were everything. He was a wreck and Derek wished he could say the magic words to fix it.

"Hey, I'll take care of her." He reassured him.

"I know, man." Mark answered. "I know."

Mark sat and waited for what seemed to him like an eternity. Thoughts ran through his mind of every possible scenario. What if he lost Lexie? What if he lost his daughter? What if he lost them both? What if he had to choose? It was all becoming too much for him. He tried to just shake it all out of his mind and try to be positive. The doors opened and Mark's head shot up.

"Hey, what happened? I just got Derek's message." Callie said as she sat in the empty chair next to him. "He said it was an emergency with Lexie."

"I don't know. I don't know what's going on." Mark tried his best to explain. "I found her on the floor of our bathroom and I brought her here."

"Everything is going to be fine, Mark. Lexie and the baby will be fine. They are strong and they will get through this."

"It's not going to be okay."

"Of course it is. Stop it." Callie reassured him.

"I was supposed to protect her, Torres. I was supposed to make sure that nothing happened to either of my girls and I- I let them down." He told her.

"Stop it." She said. "You don't know that anyone is to blame."

"I can't lose her, Torres. I can't. I won't make it."

Callie tried her best to comfort Mark and they sat and anxiously awaited news. A couple hours later, Derek made his way through the double doors and Mark shot up out of his chair.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Mark asked quickly.

"They are both fine. She is awake now if you wanna see her then we can discuss everything." Derek explained.

Derek and Mark walked into the room where Lexie laid hooked up to oxygen and looking tired and groggy. He wished he could fix this. She shouldn't be laying there. He should have made sure she wasn't.

"Hey" Lexie said weakly.

Mark rushed to her side and kissed her hand. "Baby you can't do that to me again. Ever, okay? I can't lose you."

"I'm sorry I scared you." She answered him.

"I hate to interrupt, but we do need to discuss your condition." Derek said.

"My condition?" Lexie asked.

"You have Toxemia. It's a form of high blood pressure that can cut off oxygen and nutrients to the placenta. It can result in a small baby or even a premature birth." Derek explained.

"What do we do? How do I fix it?" Lexie asked, desperately trying to remember everything about her OB rotation.

"Well, the treatment consists of a no salt diet, no stress, and lots of bedrest. Do you think you can do that?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, I can do that." She answered. "I'll do anything."

"Okay then I will see to your discharge." Derek said.

"Thanks, Derek." Mark said.

"Anytime." Derek answered with a smile.

After being released from the hospital Mark and Lexie made their way back home. About five seconds after walking through the door, Mark insisted that Lexie lay down and she complied. She figured after her close call, arguing would be kind of futile at this point. Besides, she didn't want anything happening to her baby. That was the most important thing. After falling asleep for what seemed like five minutes, Lexie found herself awake at 4:30am. She slowly got up and made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Lexie found herself stading in the kitchen, rubbing her belly while she drank the water.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked as he walked into the room.

"I was just thirsty." Lexie said.

"You say it like it's no big deal. You can't do this, okay? You can't just act like it doesn't matter. It does." He said angrily.

"I'm not acting like anything. It was a drink of water. Are you kidding me? I know what's going on, okay? I was there too." She shot back.

"You are not getting it. You're acting like you are invincable. You're not." Mark told her.

"I get that. It was a trip to the kitchen, not a walk around the block. I- I don't even want to talk about this anymore." She said, walking out of the kitchen.

"What part of 'I can't lose you' do you not understand?" He said quietly.

"What?" Lexie asked.

"I can't lose you, Lex. And you are pushing it. You keep pushing it."

"I'm not trying to push anything. I can't-Mark, I can't just crawl in a hole and hibernate." She tried to explain. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. Just let me know what you are doing so next time I don't freak out when I wake up and find you gone." He asked.

"Deal." Lexie agreed.

"Thank you."

"I'm really, really, sorry." She said.

"Yeah, yeah." He said, jokingly. "Let's go to sleep. You and baby Haley need your rest."

"Yes, sir." Lexie said with a giggle.

How on earth was she going to get through 3 months of bedrest. Lexie didn't have the slightest clue, but she knew she had plenty of time to figure it out.

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to make sure Lexie's condition wasn't too serious as that is just too much drama for me to write and I want them to have a little happiness. So read and remember reviews make me smile and make me write faster. Peace and Love, guys! xoxoxo**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last few chapters of this story. I was considering ending this story very soon, but I actually think I will keep going. I don't think I am quite ready to let it go. So here we go with another chapter. Once again, thank you guys so much for being awesome! = ) **

**Disclaimer:**** I own absolutely nothing. All rights belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. **

**Chapter 11**

Torture. Pure torture. That's what bedrest had become for Lexie. It had been a month and a half since she found out she had to stay in bed for the remainder of her pregnancy and she was slowly losing her mind. She had tried to entertain herself to no avail and she was more than ready to give birth just out of boredom. Lexie turned on the television and flipped through the channels, hoping to run across something mildly interesting. Deciding that she had enough Kardashian related television for one lifetime, she turned it off and picked up her BlackBerry and began to dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey! How is my favorite sister?" Lexie said cheerfully.

"Lexie." Meredith said, not surprised. "I can't entertain you right now."

"Come on, Mer. I am slowly going crazy. That's right, I said it, Baby and I are losing it." Lexie told her.

"Lexie, you are going to be fine. You made it this far. You can do it. I know you can, you just have to be positive."

"What?" she said, confused by the happy words coming out of Meredith's mouth.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Lexie. Look, I have to go. I am really sorry." Meredith said in a hurry.

"Crazy people shouldn't be left alone." Lexie tried.

"I'm sorry."

Lexie groaned as she hung up the phone and tossed it on the nightstand. She wanted to take a shower, she wanted to take a walk, but she knew if she did either, odds were Mark would find out and things would not be pretty. She shifted down in the bed and tried desperately to fall asleep. Every time she got comfortable, the baby would kick, move around, or worst of all push under her ribs causing her to toss and turn. Finally, she gave up all hope of a nap and decided to devote herself to the art of paper airplanes. As she flew one across the room, Mark walked in, taking his shoes off.

"What are you doing?" he said, confused by the paper around the room.

"I have tried everything and I cannot get used to this. I am losing it, Mark. I am going crazy and crazy is not good for me or baby, so we need to fix this."

"How do you propose we fix this?" Mark asked.

"I don't know. That's your job." She told him.

"Lexie-"

"No!" She cut him off. "This is your entire fault! If you had not done this to me then I would be able to work right now, instead of sitting here doing origami while I slowly lose my mind!"

"I don't know what to say."

"Mark. I am so bored. I can't take the bedrest. I am sitting in this apartment by myself day in and day out and I am finding myself slowly going insane." She explained," Can't I just come to work with you?"

"You know you can't do that, Lex." He told her. "But-"

"But what?" she said, clearly disappointed.

"I can talk to the chief and see if he will let me take a leave of absence. I can keep you company. That way if you go crazy, you take me with you." Mark said.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I don't want to subject you to any torture and trust me, this is torture."

"I'll be right back. I have to call the chief." He told her.

He left the room and Lexie smiled to herself. She had found a good man. Yeah, he was a smart ass, sometimes arrogant, and sometimes extremely overprotective. But he was one of the good ones. She laid back and sighed as she folded yet another paper airplane. She threw it across the room, poking Mark right in the eye as he walked back through the door.

"Ow! Damn it, Grey!"

"Oh, god. Mark, are you okay?" She said, concerned.

"I'm fine. Of course, I might be blinded now." He said.

"Oh don't be dramatic. It was a piece of paper, not a pitchfork." Lexie said.

Mark made his way over to the bed and lay beside her.

"So the chief granted my leave. You are officially stuck with me till after she arrives." He said, rubbing her belly.

"Damn. Suck for me." She said, sarcastically.

"Shut up. You know you are excited." He said. "To get to be with this, all day, every day. You are the luckiest girl right now."

"Oh okay." Lexie answered.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes just soaking in the moment when Lexie spoke up first.

"Hey Mark?"

"Hmm?" He answered.

"I'm sorry I wasn't very cooperative with the whole bedrest thing before. I just- I didn't want to sit around and become a couch potato. That's just not me. I like to be doing something." Lexie explained.

"I understand, babe. I do, but as long as you realize that a life is now dependent on you." He told her. "Whether or not she gets here safely depends on you."

"I know and I promise not to screw it up." Lexie said, making a cross gesture over her heart.

Mark ordered Chinese food and rented _Dear John, _more for Lexie than himself. The couple ate and watched the movie in bed. Lexie would swoon at the romance in the movie while Mark made frequent quips about how things like this would never happen in the real world. It didn't matter though. Regardless of their differing opinions, they were together and they were grateful. After the movie, Mark glanced over to find Lexie fast asleep. He cleaned up and turned the light off, before crawling into bed next to her, resting his hands on their baby girl. About three o'clock in the morning, Mark awoke to find Lexie sitting up and holding her abdomen.

"Lexie, what's wrong?"

"I don't want you to panic, but I think I'm in labor." She said.

"Are you sure? How do you know it's not just Braxton Hicks?" Mark asked, his voice dripping with worry.

"Because my water just broke." Lexie stated.

"Okay, come on. We've got to get to the hospital. We need some clothes, your shoes, your jacket- "Mark started rambling.

"Mark."

"Where is the bag we were going to take?" He continued.

"Mark."

"I thought I put it in the closet right here."

"Mark!" Lexie yelled.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm scared." She said.

"I know. Everything will be fine though, okay? I know it. It has to." Mark reassured her.

"No. It's too early. She won't make it." Lexie said, starting to cry.

"Come on, baby. We have to go."

He helped her out of bed and slowly walked her to the car before making their way to the hospital.

"My fiancée is in labor. She is about six weeks early." Mark explained to the admitting clerk.

"Alright. Page OB and let them know we have a preemie on the way." The woman ordered the nurse. "We are going to take her up to Labor and Delivery and get her set up. If you want to follow, we will let you know when you are able to go in with her."

Mark just nodded and followed as they helped Lexie into a wheelchair and walked toward the elevators. As they took Lexie into a room, Mark stayed in the hall. He felt his palms start to sweat and his heart began to race. He pulled out his cell phone and frantically dialed.

"Addison?"

**Hope you enjoyed this installment. More is on the way, as soon as possible. I won't make you wait long. Remember, reviews make me giddy, so do your worst. Peace and Love, guys. xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter so much. This story is getting more fun with every chapter. So here you go, the next installment.**

**ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer:**** Once again I own nothing but an active imagination and the urge to write.**

"Hey. How are you doing?" Mark asked, as he walked in to find Lexie sitting in the bed, pulling her hair back into a messy bun.

"Not bad. Dr. Warner said we have time. I'm only dilated one centimeter. He says it could take hours so I shouldn't panic." She said, trying to put on a positive smile.

"Dr. Warner? Where is Dr. Scott?" Mark asked.

"He isn't on call tonight, but its okay. This Dr. Warner guy seems pretty good, so I think we are in good hands." Lexie said.

Mark didn't look any less worried.

"Mark, please. It's going to be okay. I promise."

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" he said with a small laugh.

"It's okay for you to feel a little powerless. It's all I have felt lately. It will go away." Lexie said, trying to make him feel even a little better.

"Get some rest, okay?" He told her.

Lexie nodded and tried her best to relax. Slowly, she drifted to sleep, leaving Mark to his thoughts. He got up and made his way to the hospital chapel. Mark never thought of himself as a religious man, but he felt he had nowhere else to turn. So he took his issues up with the one guy who would listen. He sat and prayed in silence. After about a half an hour, he figured he had done all he could and decided his time would be better spent by Lexie's side.

_3 hours later…_

Mark woke up to a light tapping on the door.

"Addison." He said, making his way out to the hall to greet her. "Thank you so much for coming."

"Hey, it's not a big deal. So why didn't you want Dr. Warner to do Lexie's delivery. I checked out his resume and it's quite impressive." She said.

"I want to be sure that Lexie and the baby get the very best and the last time I checked, you were the best when it comes to all things babies." He told her.

"This is true. Okay, say no more. I am going to find Warner and have him sign over her case and then I will grab her chart and we will see what we are dealing with, okay?" Addison explained.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I'll be right in."

Mark made his way back into the room and gently woke Lexie.

"Lex, honey, wake up. The doctor needs to look at you, okay?"

"Mark, that's ridiculous, the doctor was just here."

"I switched doctors, Lexie." Mark told her.

Lexie suddenly became more alert.

"Why?" She asked. "What was wrong with Dr. Warner?"

"Nothing." Mark said. "I just want you to have the best."

"Ms. Grey, how are you feeling?" Addison said, walking into the room.

"Addison. What are you doing back in Seattle?" Lexie asked, desperately hoping this was not what she thought it was.

"Mark called. He said you guys were having some jitters as far the early delivery so I hopped on the first flight and here I am." Addison said with a smile. "So, let's have a baby."

"Okay." Lexie said, with false enthusiasm.

"Great. I want to run a quick ultrasound, just to approximate the size and weight of the baby, so we can proceed accordingly. Then I'll do a quick pelvic and see if you have progressed any further." Addison explained.

Lexie nodded in agreement.

As Addison prepped Lexie's belly for the ultrasound, Lexie squeezed Mark's hand. He thought she would be upset for him calling Addison, but in reality, she was surprised at herself with how relieved she felt. Addison was the best in her field and if anyone deserved the best right now, it was her little girl. The past was in the past and Lexie had no desire to dig it up, especially now.

"Okay." Addison started. "It actually looks like your baby is a pretty good size, even for being early. She looks to be almost about five pounds and her heartbeat is strong. See her chest cavity moving?"

Lexie nodded in awe.

"She is practicing to breathe for when she gets here. I think you are in much better shape than you think you are." She told her. "So let's see how far we are, shall we?"

Addison rolled her chair to the foot of Lexie's bed and put on a pair of fresh gloves. Lexie picked a spot on the ceiling and focused. Having Mark's ex poking around in her lady business was awkward, to say the least. After five minutes or what felt to Lexie like five hours, Addison broke the silence.

"Okay. It looks like you are at about five centimeters. Which is good in the sense that it's moving along quite quickly." Addison explained. "As you continue to progress, your contractions are going to become more frequent and more intense, so if you want the epidural, now is the time."

"No." Lexie said. "I don't want to do the epidural."

"Lexie." Mark said.

"No. I don't want to be all drugged up. Please, Mark."

Mark looked at Addison. "You heard her. No epidural."

Addison smiled. "You got balls, Grey. I'll be back to check on you soon."

Addison left the room and Mark walked to Lexie's bedside.

"So how are you doing? Really?" He asked.

"The contractions hurt, but I am getting through it."

"Lexie, if you want the epidural, there is no shame." He told her.

"Mark, I promise, I will be fine, okay? A little pain, I can handle." Lexie said.

_3 hours later_

"No, no, no, no! Stop! Give me the epidural!" Lexie screamed at Addison.

"Lexie, I already explained, we can't do the epidural now, okay? You are about to have to push. It's too late, alright? You can do this."

"No. I lied. I want it. We can make time for it. I can cross my legs or something. I'll make sure it doesn't come out, just give me the epidural, please." She begged.

"Mark, you might want to grab her hand. This is going to hurt." Addison suggested.

"Alright, Lexie. When I count to three, I want you to give me a big push, okay? I need a really big one. Give me all you've got." Addison said. "One…two…three!"

Lexie pushed with everything she had and Mark wished he could find some way to take the pain away. After ten seconds, Lexie relaxed and Mark did his best to comfort her.

"You're doing great, babe. Really."

"It hurts, Mark. I can't do it." She was getting exhausted.

"Look at me. Just a little bit more and we will have a gorgeous baby girl. You can do this. I am right here."

Lexie nodded.

"Okay, here we go again." Addison said. "Give me another one. Come on, Lexie, big push."

"Great job, honey. I am so proud of you." Mark encouraged.

"Hey Mark?" Lexie said. "You're cheers aren't really helping so could you just…I don't know…stuff it? Please?"

"Sure." Mark said.

Addison smiled to herself. "Okay, the head is out. Give me one more big one, Lexie. One more and she's here. Come on."

Lexie nodded and went again.

"Come on, come on, come on." Addison cheered on.

Lexie fell back on her pillow and sighed with exhaustion.

"Here she is!" She heard Addison announce. "A beautiful, baby girl."

Addison handed her off to the nurses who began taking her vitals and cleaning her up.

"How is she?" Lexie asked. "Is she okay?"

Addison turned around holding the baby.

"She's doing great. Here you go, Mom. Congratulations." She said, handing the baby to Lexie.

"Hi." Lexie said, unable to breathe.

She was beautiful. Everything they expected and so much more. She had the most hypnotizing blue eyes she had ever seen and the slightest hint of brown hair. Lexie cradled her, taking in her new baby. Mark stood behind them with tears in his eyes. Lexie looked up at Mark.

"Look what we made." She said with a smile.

"She's perfect." Mark said.

Even that word didn't seem to do her justice.

Addison asked, "So does this little princess have a name?"

"Yeah." Lexie said. "Haley. Haley Grace Addison Sloan."

"Addison? Really?" Mark asked, confused.

"Yeah. She flew all the way out here to make sure we were okay. That's amazing and I am honored that you would do that for us. So I wanted to symbolize that. Do you mind, Addison?"

"Not at all." She answered. "I'm honored and touched."

"I'm going to give you guys some alone time." Addison said, making her way out. "Congratulations, again."

"Thanks." Lexie said.

As Lexie slept that night, Mark held his baby girl. He was captivated. He didn't understand how he could fall completely in love with someone in a matter of seconds. He realized that his entire world was in his arms and he would make sure, no matter what, that nothing would come near harming that.

"Daddy loves you. Do you know that? I know it's a big world out here, but don't worry. You'll get used to it. Besides, if you ever feel lost or confused, you have me. I will always be here, no matter what. So don't you forget that okay?"

**I hope you enjoyed the big birth. I thought it was cute to name the baby after Addison. I cannot wait to start writing the next few chapters. Life at home with a new baby? It's going to be so much fun to write. Anyway, until then, review. It makes me happy. Peace and Love. xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm baaack! This story is becoming so addicting to me. Plus, I have no life right now so it gives me time to get the job done. So...enjoy.**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing but my own fantasies. **

Chapter 13

Four days after giving birth, Lexie, Mark, and Haley made their way home from the hospital. Mark had made sure that everything was prepared before they had gotten to the apartment. Callie and Arizona had come over and put the crib together, Meredith and April decorated the room, and Derek made sure there were plenty of diapers and formula ready to go. It was nice to know that their loved ones came through when they needed help. Everyone was there to greet them when they made it home. Lexie walked through the door, diaper bag over the shoulder with Mark right behind her with the baby in the car seat.

"Hey there, momma." Meredith said as they made their way inside.

"Hi" Lexie said, beaming.

"Where's my niece?" Meredith asked immediately.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Lexie said as Meredith moved past her to Mark and began to unbuckle Haley.

"Lexie!" Arizona squealed.

"Hey!" She said as Arizona hugged her. "Where is the tiny human? I want to meet this little person."

Lexie laughed. "She's over there. Good luck prying her away from Mer. Okay, I'm going to go put the stuff in the baby's room." No one listened as they all gushed over Haley. "Yep, great. Love you guys, too. Gosh, it's great to be home."

As she walked into the baby's room, Callie was on the floor, putting the finishing touches on the crib.

"Hey. What are doing down there?"

Callie turned around with a huge grin. "Hey. You don't expect this little one to sleep on the floor did you?"

"No." Lexie said. "Thank you for doing this. It really was above and beyond."

"Don't mention it. It was my pleasure." Callie told her.

"Mark should have done this himself. I'm sorry he loaded it off on you." Lexie stated.

"No, he didn't put it on me. He did put it together, at first, I mean. It wobbled, so I redid it. It's solid now. It's a non-budger." Callie said as she tapped the crib.

"It's beautiful. Thank you so much." Lexie said as she hugged Callie. "You're one of the good ones, you know?"

"It's easy with you guys." Callie laughed.

Lexie sighed. "Want to go meet Haley?"

"I think Arizona and Meredith have her tied up."

"Nah. We can steal her for a few minutes. Come on."

Lexie made her way to the living room where Mark held Haley in his lap. Meredith and Arizona sat on the couch as well, marveling at the new tiny miracle that had arrived just a few days earlier. Lexie walked straight over to Mark and without a word, she gently picked up her daughter.

"Um, excuse me?" Mark said, as if he were shocked she would do such a thing.

"Nope." Lexie said. "I don't want to hear it. We are going to meet Aunt Callie."

Lexie brought the baby into the room and watched as Callie's heart slowly melted when she held her bundle of joy. Haley started to wake up.

"Oh my gosh. Her eyes are open. Lexie she is beautiful." Callie gushed.

"Thank you. I'm pretty fond of her. Mark is head over heels in love. It's kind of cute."

"Yeah, he seems to be evolving. He's done a lot of that since he met you." Callie said.

"A lot of what?" Lexie asked.

"Evolving. Growing up. He was the most arrogant, self-centered, piece of work and then you came along. You made him sort out his priorities and really focus on what he wanted. You changed him...for the better. You made him the kind of guy I am proud to call my best friend. So thanks." Callie told her.

"He helped me out too. In ways he will probably never understand, but I like to think we saved each other." Lexie said with a smile.

"Well, we should go and give you guys a chance to relax." Callie said, handing Haley back to Lexie.

"Are you sure?" Lexie asked. "We'd love to have you."

"No, I should go. Arizona and I have to be back at the hospital soon anyway." Callie said.

They made their way back to the living room where Meredith and Arizona were putting on their coats.

"Mer, you're leaving too?" Lexie asked.

"Yeah, the chief just paged me. There's a pretty big trauma coming in so I got to run. I'm sorry. I love you guys." She said as she kissed Haley's head and made her way out the door. Arizona and Callie were close behind.

"Bye guys." Callie said

"She's perfect." Arizona smiled. "Congratulations, again."

"Thank you. Bye." Lexie said.

"Well?" Mark said after a few moments of silence.

"Well I guess we should try and get some sleep." Lexie said taking Haley to her room.

She fed her, washed her up, changed her, and placed her in her crib.

"Goodnight, baby girl. I love you." she said, before turning off the light and making her way to her bedroom.

"Can you believe she's here, Lex? She's really here." Mark said, excited.

"Mm-hm." Lexie said, as she dug through her drawers looking for something to sleep in. She finally settled on some shorts and one of Mark's t-shirts.

"Is something the matter?"

Lexie had this weird attitude since everyone left and Mark didn't understand where it came from. She seemed perfectly fine at the hospital.

"Nothing is wrong. I just don't understand why you keep making a big deal out of this, okay? Just...stop." Lexie said before storming off.

"Whoa." Mark followed her. "Lex, come on. It's our daughter, our little girl. It's is a big deal."

Lexie sighed. "I'm sorry."

"What's going on? Come on. You can talk to me."

"I just feel like when she was inside me, I had more of a shot at protecting her. She is here, Mark, yes, I get that, but she is exposed. She is out in the open and anything can hurt her. Do you get that?" She was beginning to freak out. "Anything can make her sick, or injure her, someone could hurt her. I can't protect her like I could when she was here." Lexie gestured to her abdomen.

"Baby, I'm not going to let anything happen to her. I promise." He told her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep. We both know you can't save her from everything either." Lexie replied.

"No one can protect her from everything. She is a baby, our baby. I think the reason you are feeling this way is because being a mom scares the hell out of you, but there is one thing you didn't take into consideration."

"What?" Lexie asked.

"She's a Sloan." Mark replied, causing Lexie to smile a little. "She's one of the tough ones. She is going to be fine. She might get hurt or sick, but we will be there to fix her and make her feel better, okay?"

"Okay." Lexie said as he pulled her into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Mark said. "Now let's get some sleep while we can."

At about three in the morning, Lexie awoke to a small cry on the baby monitor. She dragged herself out of bed and made her way to Haley's room. As soon as she arrived, Haley was quiet. WIth a sigh, she turned around and went back to bed. Thirty minutes later, she heard it again. As soon as she got to the crib, the cry stopped. Lexie shook her head and returned to her bed. An hour later, Haley cried again.

"Mark." Lexie mumbled as she nudged him.

"Hmm?"

"Go check on Haley, please? It's your turn." Lexie said, befor rolling over and going back to sleep.

Mark groaned and walked to his daughter's room. When he got to her crib she was quiet and looked happy. Mark picked her up and took her over to the rocking chair.

"What's the matter, huh? Did you just want some company?"

He slowly began to rock her and watched as her eyes slowly closed.

"Your mommy had a small freak out today, because she loves you so much. She just wants you to be safe and secure. So can you do me a favor and just don't make a habit of falling off things and keep your fingers out of any light sockets. Just for a little while. We wouldn't want Mommy to have a meltdown." Mark said with a smile.

"What are you telling her?" Mark turned around to find Lexie standing in the doorway.

"What, are you spying on us?"

"Baby monitor." Lexie answered, holding up the device.

"Damn it." Mark whispered.

"Hey, watch your mouth." She said. "You have to set a good example."

Lexie saw Haley fast asleep and couldn't help but smile.

"Are you coming to bed?" She asked.

"In a minute." Mark answered. "I haven't covered the rules on boys yet."

"Well, we can't have that. Go ahead." She said with a giggle as she walked out.

"So, where were we?" Mark continued.

Lexie knew that she had picked the right guy and all the fears she had that her little girl might be unsafe were thrown out the window. Mark loved her more than anything, plus she had an amazing extended family with Meredith, Callie, and all their friends. She figured worrying was just going to ruin this experiance for her and that was a thought she couldn't bare.

**This chapter was a little rough but I liked it. Hope you guys did too. Read and review. Peace and Love xoxoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everybody! I absolutely love the reviews you are leaving and it is inspiring me to get to work faster. Thank you so much for your support. I 3 you guys! **

**Disclaimer:**** All rights belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. I own nothing. **

Chapter 14

It had only been a couple of weeks since Mark and Lexie had brought Haley home from the hospital and things were tense around the apartment. Mark had gone back to work, leaving Lexie alone with the baby which was stressful, to say the least. Lexie found herself craving adult interaction. It seemed to her that the only conversations she had lately were with a tiny person who couldn't even manage to stay awake. Work and the baby were also making spending time with Mark more difficult. By the time he made it home, Lexie was beat and by the time Lexie was rested, Mark was heading out the door. It seemed to be a revolving door.

Lexie woke to the shower running. She looked at the clock. 5:15. She knew Mark was getting ready to head in for the day. With a small groan, she rolled over and desperately tried to fall back to sleep. While getting dressed, Mark tried to be as quiet as possible, he didn't want to wake Lexie or the baby since they both needed all the sleep they could get. Before heading out the door, he walked over to where Lexie was sleeping, leaned over, and kissed her. "I'll see you tonight." He whispered. As he walked by Haley's room, he couldn't help but sneak a peek at the little bundle of perfection sleeping peacefully. He gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you soon, princess."

It was 6:30 when Lexie heard a small cry on the baby monitor.

"Shhh" she said to herself, hoping Haley would hear her and silence herself.

About five minutes later, it grew louder. With a sigh, Lexie dragged herself out of her bed. "Mommy's coming!" she called. She walked into Haley's room and picked her little girl up.

"What's the matter? Is someone hungry?" She carried Haley with her to the kitchen where she heated a bottle and proceeded to sit on the couch to feed her.

"So, how do you feel about taking a little trip today?" Lexie asked Haley. "You know, Mommy is tired of being cooped up and I know you hate it too. We could go surprise Daddy at work. What do you think?"

Haley just stared at her.

"Yeah, I think it's a good idea too."

After feeding Haley, Lexie changed her and dressed her up in the New York Yankees outfit Mark had bought for the baby right after he found out Lexie was pregnant. She packed the diaper bag, carried Haley to the car, and traveled the short distance to Seattle Grace Mercy West. Walking into the hospital with a baby was strange and surreal. The last time she walked these halls she was a pregnant resident.

"There she is." Dr. Bailey said as she rounded the corner.

"Hey, Dr. Bailey."

She peeked into the car seat. "She is the most precious thing. You did good you know."

"Thank you." Lexie said.

"She is beautiful. Oh, look at those eyes." Miranda gushed.

"Do you want to hold her?" Lexie offered.

"Of course." She answered as Lexie slowly removed Haley from the seat and handed her over to her co-worker. "So how is life with the little one?" Miranda asked.

"Stressful." Lexie laughed. "But I wouldn't change a thing. I am loving every second of it."

"Yeah I know how that works."

Dr. Bailey pager sounded. "I'm sorry. I got to take that."

"Oh sure." Lexie replied, taking her daughter back. "Good luck."

"Congratulations." She told her. "You are both gorgeous."

Lexie looked down at the little girl in her arms. "What do you say we go find Daddy, huh?" She said.

Lexie made her way through the surgical floor and was rounding the corner to Plastics when she stopped in her tracks. She thought she was seeing things but she knew it was real. Mark was flirtatiously chatting with a scrub nurse. The two laughed and entered an on-call room. Lexie was horrified. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the on-call rooms were used for. Especially what Mark Sloan used on-call rooms for. She didn't know what to do. Should she pretend she didn't see anything? What did this mean? She thought she knew him better than this. Without a word, Lexie turned around and rushed out of the hospital. On the verge of tears, she drove home and decided to pack a bag for her and for Haley. There was no way she was staying there tonight. Meredith's place would be fine.

It was about 6:30 that evening, when Mark walked through the front door. He was confused by the bag by the front door. As he walked further into the apartment, he found Haley in her carseat, buckled, and ready to go.

"Lex?" He called. He was nervous. Something about this just wasn't right.

Lexie came out from the kitchen holding a couple bottles and some formula. She paused and looked at Mark for a second before walking past him and shoving the items in the bag. She knew what about to happen and she dreaded it.

"What's going on?" Mark asked, already regretting the question.

"We are going to go stay with Meredith until I can figure out a permanent place for us." Lexie answered.

"What are you talking about? Why are you leaving?" He asked, frantic as Lexie walked away. He grabbed her wrist. "Lexie, talk to me."

"I saw you!" She yelled, unable to keep it in any longer. "I saw you and I don't know what hurts worse, the fact that you did this to me or that you did this to that little girl!"

"Okay, I honestly don't know what you are talking about." He said, blatantly confused.

"Oh, Mark. Don't play dumb. I'm better at it than you." Lexie continued. "Haley and I decided to surprise you, visit you at work. I saw you go into the on-call room with that nurse."

"Oh, I see. You see me go into a room with a woman and you assume I'm screwing her?" He said, angrily. "That's real nice."

"What am I supposed to think?" She asked.

"You're supposed to know me better than that!" He yelled. "Damn it, Lexie. I can't keep telling you over and over that I don't want anyone else."

He sighed. "We had a surgery together. We were tired and we crashed in the on-call room at the same time. That's it."

Lexie looked down.

"When are going to stop judging me for my past? Huh?" Mark asked. "It's like you're constantly looking for any reason to walk away."

"I am holding on for dear life, Mark. I can't do this just for me anymore. I have to think about my daughter now and if there is even the slightest possibility she might get hurt, I have to protect her." She explained.

"Damn it, Lexie. That's not fair! She's my daughter too! You don't think I want to protect her? I would lay my life down for that little girl." Mark shouted.

Lexie bowed her head. "I know. I'm sorry." She sighed. "I think the time apart made me think that you might get bored and then when I saw you go into that room with her then-"

Mark walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her. "You thought that I was getting attention somewhere else?"

Lexie nodded.

"Never going to happen." Mark told her. "The world can try, but it will never happen."

Lexie kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Mark said. "More than you will ever understand. Besides, you have one thing over all the other girls."

"What?" Lexie asked.

"You gave me that beautiful little baby." He said as he kissed her. "You are the mother of my child. You are it for me, Little Grey. Please, don't ever doubt me again."

"I'm sorry. It will never happen again." She promised.

"What do you say we put Haley to bed early so her mommy and daddy can have some alone time?" Mark asked with his gorgeous smile.

"I think that's a great idea." She answered.

Mark unbuckled his daughter and took her to her room where he fed and changed her before placing her in her crib.

"I love you, baby girl. Have sweet dreams." He said before closing the door.

Mark and Lexie spent the rest of the night just talking. Sharing each other's days and filling each other in on what they had missed. They lost focus and lost touch but both were willing to make sure that didn't happen again. They had everything they needed to be a happy family. No one could break it apart.

**I hope this chapter was up to snuff. It seemed a little off to me, but it might just be me. Either way I hope you review and leave me your thoughts.**

**Peace and Love, guys! xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! Who else loved the guys' episode of Grey's tonight. It was awesome. Mark yelling at Jackson to get in the car was great. Anyway thanks again for all the love again. You guys rock my socks. Xoxo**

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me but my own ideas. **

Chapter 15

Finally. That's all Lexie Grey could think when she woke up and began getting ready to go back to work. Her six weeks of maternity leave had ended and she was ready to get back in the game. She was anxious to get back to what she loved but she was also nervous that she had become rusty or that she wouldn't handle the pressure. She was afraid that, as Dr. Bailey had once said, she might have "gone soft". Deep down she just tried to remember that everything would be fine. She showered and brushed her teeth then began packing Haley's stuff while Mark got ready, himself.

"Hey, baby. Are you ready for your first day in daycare? I bet your going to make a bunch of friends." Haley began to fuss a little. "Oh it's okay. You won't be there long. Mommy and Daddy made sure we don't work too late, so we can make sure you don't forget us, okay?" Lexie told her.

Lexie knew it had only been six weeks but she felt like her little girl was growing up so fast. She dressed her in tiny blue jeans, a t shirt that said 'I'm cute. Mom's cute. Dad's lucky' and hot pink Converse high tops to top it off. Haley still didn't have enough hair to hold a bow so she left it alone. She was buckling Haley in her car seat when Mark joined them.

"There're my girls." Lexie smiled at him.

"So how are we feeling about daycare, huh?" Mark asked Haley. "Yeah, that's okay. I like the strong, silent type."

Lexie giggled. "She had a slightly negative reaction to the daycare topic earlier."

"Hmm. Well, we can't have that. I can keep her here, if you want. It's no big deal, Lex." He offered.

"No, Mark. We are not doing that. We are going to work and she is going to be fine. You are not going to change your mind just because you are not ready to leave her for a little bit. Besides, you have already done it. You were going to work while I was watching her here." She explained.

"Yes, but you are her mother. It's not like I was leaving her with a complete stranger. What if she doesn't like them? It could happen, you know?" Mark said.

"Here. Let's go." Lexie said, handing Mark the car seat holding Haley.

"So are you ready to get back to everything?" Mark asked in the car on the way to the hospital.

"Yeah. I think I could use a little hard work, you know? It will be good for me." Lexie said.

The pair walked through the sliding doors of Seattle Grace Mercy West with baby in tow and made their way to the child care area. Mark began clutching the car seat a little tighter, not wanting to give her up ever.

"Hi." Lexie greeted. "I called last week about a spot for my daughter."

"Sure" The receptionist answered. "Name?"

"Lexie Grey."

"I meant the child."

"Oh, right." Lexie mentally slapped herself. "Haley. Haley Sloan."

"Yes. I just need you to fill out this information for emergency contact and then we can take her for you, okay?" She told Lexie.

"Okay. Great. Thank you." Lexie said with a smile.

She quickly filled out the form with both hers and Mark's contact information.

"I don't feel right about this." Mark said.

"Mark, we are not going through this again. She will be fine." Lexie reassured him.

"What if she isn't? She is only six weeks old, Lexie. She's not ready." Mark said as he pulled her out of her seat and held her.

"Weren't you the one telling me that she would be fine because she was a Sloan? Where did that go?" Lexie asked.

"I'm an idiot. She should be locked in a plastic bubble for the rest of her life. At least there I know she will never come in contact with the male species." He said.

"Okay. You are losing it." Lexie said as she took Haley in her arms. "She is going to be fine. Take your own advice, because as much as you would love to admit it, you are right. She is tough and she will not even care that we aren't there for a little while."

Lexie kissed her daughter and handed her over along with the diaper bag. Mark just sat and watched.

"Okay, Mark. Let's go." She said pulling at him. "We will be back for her at 6:00. Come on."

Lexie changed into her scrubs and felt better than ever. She was ready for this. No, she needed this. She walked out to the nurses' station where Meredith, Alex, and Cristina were looking extremely bored.

"Hey, guys." Lexie asked, as she threw her hair in a messy ponytail. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Cristina answered. "That's exactly the problem. No accidents, no disasters, no acts of stupidity. Do you know what that means?"

Lexie shook her head.

"No surgeries, Grey. No surgeries." Cristina barked.

"Cristina's gone bye-bye, huh?" Lexie whispered to Alex.

"Yeah, she left about twenty minutes ago." He answered.

Bailey ran past them nearly knocking Meredith down in the process.

"Incoming trauma, MVC, two severe, multiple injuries, ETA five minutes! Let's move people!"

All four doctors began sprinting after Dr. Bailey. Meanwhile, Mark found himself buried in paperwork on his slow day. He heard a knock on the door and looked up to find his best friend.

"Hey." Derek said. "Lexie's first day back, huh?"

"Yeah." Mark answered. "Truth be told, I'm a little nervous. I feel like maybe I should check on her, make sure she is doing okay."

"Nah, she'll be fine. She is strong and stubborn. She is a Grey after all." Derek said with a smile.

"I was talking about Haley." Mark answered.

"Oh."

"She is down there in that daycare and all I can think about is whether or not they are heating her bottle right or if they are giving her enough attention. I'm going down there." Mark said, as he stood up.

Derek laughed. "You are a mess. She is fine. Trust me, she is a baby, she will sleep through it. You need to chill out. Man, Meredith was right."

"What?"

"Lexie told Meredith before you came in that it would take you less than two hours to run down and check on Haley." Derek looked at his watch. "Yep, they were right."

"All right, all right. I get it. I am sitting down."

"Good." Derek said. "Go do a surgery. It will take your mind off everything." He said as he walked away.

Eight, exhausting hours later, Lexie met up with Mark outside the locker room.

"You ready to go?" Mark asked.

"Let's go get our girl." Lexie answered.

Mark was the first to pick her up as soon as they walked in.

"How was she?" Lexie asked.

"She was great. Haley is extremely mellow and relaxed. Oh, I'm sorry for not introducing myself when we spoke on the phone. I'm Chelsea."

"Lexie." She told her. "And this is Haley's dad, Mark."

"It's nice to meet you." Chelsea said. "Anyway, Haley did great and we would love to have her anytime."

"Great. Thanks so much." Lexie said.

As they walked into the apartment, Mark continued holding Haley close.

"No one's going to take her away, you know?" Lexie said, mocking.

"It's okay, baby. You are home now." Mark told Haley. "I know. I told Mommy not to put in that awful place."

Lexie just laughed. "It was not that traumatizing for her, Mark."

"I know." He said. "I just love her."

"I'm glad." Lexie told him. "I remember when I found out I was pregnant. I was so afraid that you would bolt. I was terrified but extremely happy at the same time."

"Why were you afraid I would bolt?" Mark asked.

"Just because it was so unplanned. I mean, it was so sudden and I didn't want you to think I was trying to trap you." Lexie answered.

"You want to know the truth?" He asked. Lexie nodded. "I thought I was perfectly content when you agreed to marry me and then you came home and told me that I was going to be a dad and I felt…complete. Like, if nothing else in the world worked out for me, at least I had you and our child. And I still feel that way."

"God you're adorable." Lexie said kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too, Little Grey." Mark said, kissing her again. "Always.

**There you go! Another chapter. Please read and review. It is what keeps me going and I hope to update really soon. Peace and Love. Xoxo**

**P.S. What were your thoughts on the latest Grey's episode? Just curious.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone! You guys make me so happy. I am loving the reactions I am getting from this story. I am kind of liking the new season of Grey's Anatomy. I also just read that Chyler Leigh will be back full-time starting with next week's episode after taking an extended hiatus for her family. So, look forward to more Lexie! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.**

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me. I love you, Shonda Rhimes.**

"Are you sure?" Lexie asked for what felt like the millionth time.

"Yes, I am sure. We need some quality daddy-daughter time." Mark answered.

Meredith had invited Lexie to a weekend spa trip along with Cristina, April, Callie, and Arizona. "It's just what you need." Meredith had told her, and on some level Lexie agreed. A weekend away might not be such a bad idea.

"I can stay, if you are feeling nervous about it." She told him. "I don't have to go."

Mark sighed, "You are going. Enough. I don't want to argue anymore. You need this and Haley and I will be just fine."

"It's just that you haven't ever really been alone with her. With no one else here." She told him.

"Look." Mark said, as he walked her to the refrigerator. "There is everyone's number plus the number of the spa and the local authorities. We are covered."

"Fine." Lexie said, admitting defeat.

Haley was relaxing in the baby swing. Lexie made her way over and picked her up.

"I want you to be good, okay? I love you and I promise I will be back soon." Lexie said, continuing to hold her.

"Lex, you gotta put her back." Mark said, receiving no answer. "Lex?...Lexie!"

"Okay, okay. Here, I am going. I love you, too." She said, giving Mark a hug and a kiss.

"I love you. Have a great time, okay?"

"Do not hesitate to call if you need me, okay? I don't care what it is."

"Go!" Mark urged.

"Okay, bye!"

Mark turned to his little girl, who looked at him with eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts. He had no idea how on earth he had become so lucky to call this tiny human his.

"Well, kiddo. It looks like it's just you and me, huh?" Mark said. "What are we thinking? Pizza and a movie?"

Mark ordered a pizza and made Haley a bottle. After both had been fed, Mark relaxed with Haley on the couch where they were watching _Fast Five, _the kind of movie Lexie would never sit through. Haley stayed alert and Mark took it as a sign that there was more of himself in her.

"You know, I think you're right. Vin Diesel has mad skills when it comes to driving those cars. What do you think about me buying a car like that?"

Haley just stared at him.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It is just a bit irresponsible. Nix the car." Mark said.

After the movie had ended, Mark took Haley and sat in the rocking chair, hoping she would fall asleep with ease. Haley began to fuss, but instead of panicking, Mark decided to talk out the problem.

"What is it? Do you want another bottle?" When she refused to eat, he settled on another solution. "Do you want to hear a story?"

Haley grew quiet and Mark continued with a smile. "Okay. So, the first time I met your mommy, she was just a lowly intern but, she was absolutely in love with me. Don't tell her I said that. Then Uncle Derek told me to stay away and one thing that Sloans don't do well is what they are told. It was smartest thing I ever did, because now I have you. Right, princess?" He looked down and found her fast asleep. He slowly got up and placed her in her crib, draped a blanket over her and turned the light off. He then settled in his own bed and drifted to sleep almost instantly. The night went pretty well for both of them, Haley only woke up twice during the night and Lexie had only texted about fourteen times. The next morning, while Haley continued to sleep, Mark got up and was eating his morning cereal when his phone rang.

"Yes, Lexie. We are fine." Mark said, without looking at caller ID.

"Am I that transparent?"

"No. You are just that incessant. How is the spa?" He asked.

"It was great but we are heading back tonight." Lexie explained. "Cristina was a little verbally aggressive with one of the attendants and they respectfully asked us to leave."

Mark smiled. "Yeah that sounds like her."

"It was not my fault." He heard Cristina yell. "I told him 'gently'. That does translate into 'let's leave my handprint on her shoulder blades'."

"Cristina, there are ways to let someone know these things without calling them an 'incompetent and insufficient member of society'." April yelled.

"Okay, babe. Hurry back." Mark said.

"Trust me. I am. I love you." She told him.

"I love you, too." Mark hung the phone up and went to check on Haley. She was lying in her crib awake and quiet. "Hey there, sunshine."

Mark placed Haley on a blanket on the living room floor so she was free to move around while he cleaned the kitchen and dining room.

"Do you want to watch some football today with Daddy and Uncle Derek? It's the Seahawks." Mark said with a smile.

Shortly after finishing his chores, Derek arrived with snacks and beverages.

"Let's do this." Derek said.

Haley sat in Derek's lap wearing a kid's Seahawks cap that Derek had brought. It swallowed her head, so Derek put it on her backwards, which wasn't much better, but at least her vision was not obstructed. They were well into the fourth quarter and the game was a nail-biter. Lexie walked through the front door.

"Hey guys."

"Oh, come on!" was all she heard.

"Mark?" Lexie said, making her way into the living room. "I'm here."

"Oh, hey honey." Mark said, putting his focus back on the game.

"Hey, Lexie." Derek greeted.

Lexie noticed the giant hat on her daughter and smiled with amusement and confusion. "Okay. I'm going to go unpack."

About a half an hour later, Mark walked into their bedroom holding Haley.

"Is the game over? Did we win?" Lexie asked.

"Seahawks lost."

"Shame." She said. "Where's Derek?"

"He went home. Meredith was looking for him and he decided to go welcome her back." Mark said.

"So, how did it go? Are there any incidents I should know about?" Lexie asked.

"Nope. Everything was great."

"Good." Lexie said grabbing Haley and kissing her over and over. "Oh, my goodness. It's like you grew a foot since I left. I missed you so, so, so much. I am never leaving you again. Ever."

"What about me?" Mark asked.

"I missed you, too." Lexie said. "Want me to prove it?"

"You mean—you want to-?" He asked her, making sure he wasn't hearing things.

"The doctor said it was fine and it has been awhile. You think we can pull it off?" Lexie asked

"Oh, we'll make it work."

That night was the first night they had tried to make love since Haley arrived and it was awkward and strange.

"What is wrong?" Mark asked, concerned.

"I don't think this was such a good idea." She told him as they both lay in their bed, naked.

"Why? Did I hurt you?" Mark asked.

"No. Not at all. It's nothing like that. I just feel like she can hear us or see us or something. It's just kind of awkward when your child is in the next room." She explained.

"Jeez, Lexie." Mark sighed and laid back on his pillow.

"I'm sorry. Maybe Meredith can watch her one night and it will be easier." She offered.

"Just forget it." Mark said, clearly disappointed.

"How are you not bothered by this?" Lexie asked.

"Because I know she has no clue what is going on, even if she could hear us." Mark said. "You are just being neurotic. It's part of what made me fall for you."

"Fine." Lexie said, caving. "Let's try again."

Mark laughed before kissing her hungrily.

Neither of them had thought of the difficulty of having time for themselves with a child, but they figured it would all work itself out. Everything else had.

"Wow, that was incredible." Mark said.

"I did it." Lexie said, proud.

After a few moments of silence, Lexie broke it again.

"Mark?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Let's do it." She said.

"We just did." Mark laughed at her at he kissed her neck.

"No." Lexie said, hitting him playfully. "Let's get married."

Mark just looked at her for a few seconds. "Of course."

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked writing it. I tried to capture some of the real problems of being first time parents and trying to figure things out as you go along. Anyway, I would love your feedback, so read and review and any wedding ideas you have would be greatly appreciated. Peace and Love xoxo**


	17. Chapter 17

**You guys are amazing! Your reviews have me updating this story in record time. Thank you so much! The reception of this story has been unbelievable and I am so grateful. Yay!**

**Disclaimer:**** Everything belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. Nothing is mine, I swear. (Darn.) **

Chapter 17

"So what do you think?" Lexie asked Haley as she held up two photos of different flowers. "Roses or lilies?"

Haley just giggled and kicked her little legs. It had been 2 and a half months since Mark and Lexie decided to go for it and get married. Lexie, of course, began planning right away. Callie and Arizona helped her with everything, while Meredith and Cristina could have cared less. It's was okay though. Weddings weren't their thing. Lexie smiled and put the photos aside.

"Okay, I get it, I am getting bored too." She gasped. "I know, let's go wake Daddy up."

Mark had been sleeping in a lot due to his late surgeries, but everything was great between them. He was no help when it came to planning the big day, but really what guy was? The pair quietly made their way into the bedroom and Lexie lightly placed Haley on Mark's arm. It took her about five seconds to giggle, waking Mark up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked Lexie, sleepily.

"Someone wanted to say good morning."

"I see. How is the most beautiful girl in the world?" Mark asked.

"Okay. I have to go look at floral arrangements with Callie. Do you want me to take her?"

"Nah. Leave her here. We can take a nap, right baby girl?" Mark said.

Lexie laughed causing Mark to look at her strangely.

"Sorry." Lexie said. "Just you are thinking that she is going to let you sleep. It's really funny. Are you sure you don't want me to take her."

"I'm sure. You girls have fun."

"Okay." Lexie said, leaning in and kissing Haley several times on the cheeks. "Mommy loves you so much. See you soon." She turned around and headed out.

"What about me?" Mark asked

"Sorry." She came back and kissed Mark deeply and passionately. "I'll see you later, okay."

"Yeah, you will. I love you."

"You too."

Lexie and Callie had spent forty-five minutes looking at floral arrangements and nothing seemed to really draw Lexie in. Everything was too plain or too fancy, too colorful or too washed out, too big or not noticeable. She was ready to give up.

"Maybe this is a bad idea?" Lexie said.

"What's a bad idea?" Callie asked, confused.

"The wedding."

"Oh, no. Are you getting cold feet? Grey, Mark loves you so much." Callie started.

"No, I'm not getting cold feet. Not about Mark anyway, just the wedding. I feel like it might be too over the top. Mayb we will just go to city hall, do the justice of the peace thing." She said.

"No!" Callie protested strongly. "You will not go to city hall and do the justice of the peace thing. Do you hear me? This wedding is going to be great and if you can't believe that, then there is the door."

Lexie just nodded, afraid to use words at this point.

Callie picked up a flower arrangement and looked at Lexie with the largest smile she could put on.

"So what do we think? Baby's breath? Tacky?"

Meanwhile, Mark laid in bed watching television with Haley when he heard a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" He asked Haley as he picked her up and walked to the front door.

"Look its Uncle Derek." Mark said.

"Hey there, missy. Come say hi to me." Derek took her from Mark.

"So what brings you here, man?" Mark asked.

"Cristina and Meredith are dancing around my house. I am not sure why, but I know I do not want to be there. It's worse than their slumber parties in my bed." Derek explained.

"I see. Well feel free to stay as long as you like."

"So where's Lexie?" Derek asked.

"She is looking at flowers with Callie."

"Oh yeah, wedding day. Are you nervous?" He asked.

"You know, it's weird." Mark explained. "Most men would be sort of nonchalant about the whole thing, but I'm scared, man."

"Of what?" Derek laughed. "You already got her."

"What if I screw it up?" He said. "I have before. There is nothing saying I won't do it again. Only this time, if I screw it up, not only do I lose Lexie, but I lose her too." Mark said, pointing to the baby in Derek's lap.

"Mark, I don't say this to you very often, but I believe in you. Lexie would not have agreed to marry you if she didn't think that you were a better man; a changed man. She believes in you, and you have got to start believing in yourself or you are in for a very unhappy marriage."

"You're right." Mark said.

"I know." Derek answered. "It happens quite often. Frightening, isn't it?"

After a few minutes of pointless chat, Derek's pager went off. After looking at it and handing Haley back to Mark he explained he had to run due to an emergency craniotomy that needed his attention.

A couple hours later, Lexie came through the door. She was extremely happy. She tossed her bag on the couch and walked through the apartment looking for Mark and Haley.

"Mark." She called. "I'm home."

No answer.

"Babe, where are you?" She tried again.

Still nothing.

"Mark this isn't funny. Come out."

"Shhhhh." Mark said, coming out of Haley's room. "She is taking a nap."

Lexie smacked Mark on the shoulder. "Don't you dare do that to me. I thought you had taken off or something. God!"

"You have got to calm down." He told her. "So how did it go with the flowers?"

"Great." Lexie said with a smile. Callie found a bouquet and centerpieces for the tables…but I can't help thinking…"

"What?" Mark asked.

"Do you really want the big, flashy wedding?" Lexie asked. "Would you want to just go to city hall?"

"I want whatever you want. You told me the first night we were together that you dreamed of a wedding where you got to be a princess for a day and wear a fancy dress and have cake and flowers. If that is your dream then I want that for you." Mark told her. "You deserve it and so much more."

"Thank you, baby. I love you so much." She said kissing him.

"I love you, too."

"We're getting married." Lexie told him. "Married, and we have a baby. Did you ever think we would be here?"

"I knew I would marry you and have babies with you. I just couldn't seem to make you see it."

"Well, I'm stubborn, you know?" Lexie told him.

"Yeah, I know. You're a Grey." Mark laughed.

"Not for long." She told him.

All Mark could do was smile.

**I am hoping to make the wedding something beautiful, but not over the top. I don't want it to be unrealistic. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you review. I will be taking tomorrow night off for a Grey's Night with my pals but I will be back to work soon. Peace and Love everyone. xoxo **


	18. Chapter 18

**So it has been a few days. I have been brainstorming just exactly where I wanna take this story and I think I have some good ideas and of course, some drama. Wouldn't be right without it. Has anyone else heard that Oct. 27th will feature the docs in a baseball game. I am pretty stoked. Anyway, here is the next chapter, guys. I hope it was worth the wait. **

**Disclaimer:**** All rights belong to Shonda Rhimes.**

It had been three months of planning and it was finally here, the day they had been waiting for. Lexie stayed at Meredith's that night while Mark stayed in the apartment, as it was customary for the couple to be apart the night before the wedding. Lexie woke up that morning feeling ready and excited. This was the day she would get to stand in front of all their friends and family and declare that she would spend the rest of her life with Mark Sloan. Things could not be better. She slowly got up and made her way downstairs where Meredith was sitting in the kitchen with Haley while Derek made breakfast.

"Wow, something smells good." Lexie said.

"Good morning, Sadie." Meredith said with a smile that made Lexie step back with caution. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Sadie?" Lexie asked, confused.

"Sadie." She explained. "Sadie, Sadie, married lady."

"Streisand." Derek said from his place at the stove.

Lexie laughed to herself as she took the coffee and sat at the table.

"Hey girlie girl." Lexie said as she pinched at Haley's cheek.

"How do you feel, Little Grey?" Derek asked. "Today's the big day."

"Yeah." She answered. "I feel kinda nervous, but strangely safe. I feel like a kid again."

"Okay." Meredith said clapping her hands together, nearly scaring Lexie half to death. "Derek is keeping Haley and then we are going with April to the salon to get our hair done. Callie, Arizona, and Cristina are meeting us there."

"Fine." Lexie said, sleepily. "But I'm bringing this with me." She gestured to the coffee.

"I can live with that. Let's go." Meredith ushered her out the door.

Derek sighed and began cleaning the kitchen. About twenty minutes later, he gathered the baby's things and prepared her carseat.

"What do you say we go see how your old man is doing, huh?" Derek said. "He might be feeling a little nervous and I think a visit from you might help."

Meanwhile, Lexie sat at the salon having her hair brushed and pulled at while listening to all the girls' incessant chatter.

"I love weddings." Arizona said, cheerfully. "Love, music, cake; all things that make me happy."

Callie laughed, "What about you, Kepner?"

"What?" April asked, not really paying attention.

"Weddings?" Callie clarified.

"Mm-hm. Weddings, super." She said, focusing on her phone again.

"She's a little busy. She's been getting busy with Avery." Meredith said.

"Meredith!" April squealed.

"Ooh, Avery. He's yummy." Arizona said with a grin.

"Can I just say, I knew it would happen." Lexie said. "You guys were way to close to each other to not care."

"Okay, can we talk about something else?"

"Okay, when we finish here, we have to go find something for Little Grey to wear for her man tonight?" Callie said. "Huh, you won't be Little Grey after today, or will you?"

"No. I will change my name. I'm traditional." Lexie answered.

"Anything you want to add over there?" Meredith called out to Cristina who seemed to be watching in amusement.

"Nope. I am perfectly content right here." She said as she took a bite of a candy bar.

After the girls had finished their appointment at the salon they stopped at a lingerie boutique where they indured about an hour of "yes, no, too trashy, too safe" before finally making a purchase and heading to the church to get dressed. Meanwhile, Derek had arrived at Mark's apartment, baby in tow.

"Hey man." Mark greeted. "Hey there, pumpkin. Come here." He picked up his daughter and sat down with Derek on the couch.

"So how are you doing?" Derek asked.

"Honestly, I think I am better than I have been in a while."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I feel like it is all coming together. Finally. I didn't think I could feel like this about anyone." Mark said.

"Addison?" Derek asked.

"What? Mark asked, slightly thrown.

"You said that you were in love with Addison. Remember?" Derek said.

"Yeah. That was a long time ago. Besides, Addison never gave me anything even close to this." Mark answered, gesturing to the infant resting in his arms. "This is more. Much more."

"Okay...so we're doing this, huh?" Derek said with a smile.

"Yeah. We're doing this."

Lexie stares at herself in the mirror. She wore a classic white strapless wedding gown with a beaded bodice. She had her hair styled like her mother's; curled, the top half pulled back with loose tendrils that framed her face. She went easy on the makeup for a more natural look and she wore a long, sheer veil. She began to fidget nervously.

"You are gorgeous." Meredith said.

"Really?" Lexie said, with a smile. "The dress might be a little much, but..."

"You're perfect. I promise."

Lexie heard a gasp. "Oh my, gosh. You are stunning." Callie gushed. "Arizona come look."

"Lexie, you look amazing." Arizona said. "Really..." She began to tear up.

"Oh, no." Callie said, escorting her away.

"Mark won't know what hit him." April chimed in.

"Thank you." Lexie said. "Thanks to all of you for doing this with me. You guys, are the best."

There was a knock on the bridal suite door followed by the best man entering.

"Hey, is everyone ready?" Meredith asked.

"Lexie, you look beautiful." Derek said with a smile.

"Thank you." Lexie said with a smile.

"Actually, Meredith, I need to talk to you." He said.

"Okay." Meredith looked at Lexie with a smile. "I'll be right back. You look great."

Meredith followed Derek out to the hall. She could tell he was nervous and that something with him just wasn't quite right.

"What is it?" Meredith asked.

Cristina ran up the hall to where Meredith and Derek were standing.

"Everyone is ready to go. The only thing missing from this shindig are the two lovebirds so what is taking everyone so long?" She asked.

"We'll be right out. Just tell everyone five minutes." Meredith said.

"Alright, but if you guys aren't out there in six minutes then I am taking Derek as a peace offering." Cristina stated, walking away.

"What's wrong?"

"He's not coming." Derek said.

"Who? The pastor? Owen? I don't understand." She said.

"Mark." Derek continued. "He called. He said he was going for a drive and when I pointed out that he should be here...he said he's not ready, Mer."

"Seriously?" Meredith said. "I can't break her heart, Derek."

"I know. I was thinking I could tell her while you and the girls help with everything out there." Derek suggested.

"Are you sure?" Meredith asked.

"Yeah." Derek said. "I should do this."

As Meredith and the rest of the wedding party cleared out, Derek went back in to Lexie.

"Hey." Lexie said. "I know this is last minute but my dad can't make it and I was hoping that maybe you would give me away."

"Lexie."

"It's okay. You don't have to do it."

"No, Lexie. It's Mark. He called…and I don't know how to say this…but…"

"He's not coming, is he?" Lexie finished.

"I'm afraid not." Derek said.

Lexie looked down with a sigh.

"Why am I not surprised?" Lexie asked.

"That's not fair." Derek said.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Lexie paused. "Can you and Meredith take Haley back to your house with you? I have to run back to the apartment and get some stuff and then I will be there, too."

"Sure. Whatever you need, okay?" Derek said, taking her into a hug.

"Thank you." Lexie said, walking to the door. "And thank you, for not lying to me. You're a great big brother."

"You're an amazing little sister. Anything for you." Derek said with a smile.

Lexie walked into the empty, dark apartment, still in her wedding dress. Her hair was disheveled and her makeup was smudged. Crying in the backseat of the cab on the way over had left her looking worn and tired. She turned the light on and slowly made her way into the bedroom they shared and began packing a bag. She made sure to grab the essentials; she didn't want to waste time and raise her chances of running into Mark. She grabbed her toiletries from the bathroom and added them to her bag. Zipping the bag up, she heard the front door close, causing her stomach to drop. Mark appeared in the doorway, but she couldn't find the strength to look at him.

"Lexie, please." Mark began. "Try to understand."

Lexie sat down on the bed and continued to look at the floor. The silence filled the room and made the tension even that much greater.

"You left me there." Lexie said softly, never looking up. "You left me there. I waited for you and you left me there."

"Lexie."

"I thought this was what you wanted." She said, a single tear escaping. "Why did you ever ask me if you didn't want to?"

"I'm sorry." He said. "I don't want to break up. I love you so much. I just don't know if I can get married yet."

"It's not that simple." Lexie told him. "I got all pretty for you and you were going to leave me standing there."

"Lexie, please."

"I have to go." She said, grabbing her bag and rushing past him, the rustle of her dress filling the room.

"Where's Haley?" Mark asked, when he saw the diaper bag on her shoulder.

"We are going to Meredith's. It's the only place I feel like we belong right now." She told him.

"No, Lexie, you belong here…with me. You can't keep her from me. She's my daughter." Mark said, on the verge of tears.

"You can see her whenever you like, but right now I think this is what's best for both of us." Lexie explained. "I have to go."

Lexie opened the front door and put her bag down as she turned and walked back to Mark. A tiny part of him had hoped that she changed her mind, but his head knew better. She slowly removed the engagement ring she wore and handed it to him, before kissing him on the cheek. With a small sniffle, she turned around and picked up her bags and stopped.

"You know," Lexie said, without looking back. "I would have loved you forever…and the worst part is, I think I still will."

With that she closed the door. Mark was left alone, trying to hold what was left of him together while Lexie did her best to keep breathing.

**So I am pretty sure that this wedding did not go the way most of you would have liked, but if everything was happy and hunky dory then you would get bored and the story would be over. What did everyone think of this week's episode? In other news, I received a tweet on my Twitter from Jesse Williams (Jackson Avery) as he live tweeted during the episode. Pretty-freaking-amazing! Anyways, read and remember to review, because it makes me smile.**

**P.S. Sorry for the long chapter. **

**Peace & Love xoxo**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! You are the best. I love you all. New readers and the loyal ones who have been with me from the very beginning. You are the reason I continue to write this story. 3…I know I am keeping the angst up with Mark leaving Lexie at the altar, but we need some drama. Thanks for being patient and here is the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me…just a dreamer here.**

Surreal. That was the only word that could explain exactly how Lexie Grey felt as she woke the next morning. She had spent the entire night trying to make sense of how this could have happened. How could everything she had just fall apart in a matter of seconds? She felt betrayed. She had given everything to Mark. She gave him her heart, her future, she even gave him a child. Lexie couldn't help but feel like somehow she wasn't enough for Mark. Why else would he decide that he wasn't ready to move forward with her? Lexie looked around and took in her surroundings. Everything was exactly the same. Christmas decorations by her bed, the small trinkets she set out when she first moved in, and the picture of her mom sitting on her dresser. The only difference was the crib in the corner that Derek had generously purchased and set up for her before she made it back to Meredith's. She never thought she would be like this; a single mom, living in her big sister's attic. She made her way out of bed and walked over to the crib where Haley was awake and cooing.

"Hey baby girl." Lexie said, picking her up. Haley was almost five months old and Lexie felt like she was growing up so fast. She was holding her head up and trying to crawl and Lexie wanted nothing more than for her to slow down. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it work for you. I tried, I really did." Lexie explained.

Meredith appeared in the doorway to offer Lexie a ride to work, when she overheard her conversation, she stopped and waited patiently.

"I want you to remember something, okay?" Lexie continued. "I want you to know that I love you and your daddy loves you and no matter what happens with us that will not change. Do you understand? Hmm? I love you, okay?" She said beginning to tear up.

"Lexie." Meredith said.

Lexie turned around and used her free hand to wipe her tears quickly.

"Hey." Lexie said.

"I just wanted to see if maybe you wanted a ride to work, this morning. I thought you might want to go in, you know, to get your mind off of everything…but if you don't, it's okay." She told her.

"No. No, you're right. I should work. It might be good for me." Lexie answered. "Um, just let me grab some clothes and Haley's things and we will go."

"Alright, I'll be downstairs." Meredith said with a smile.

"Thanks."

Walking downstairs, Meredith wished that there was something she could do to help her. To take away her pain, or at least minimize it just a little. She was her big sister, so she felt it was her duty to protect Lexie. She shouldn't have to feel this way. No one should. Lexie came downstairs, ten short minutes later, ready to head out. When they arrived at the hospital, Meredith looked at Lexie, trying desperately to come up with the right words to say.

"I can take Haley to the daycare for you." Meredith offered. "That way you can just dive right in. Plus, you wouldn't have to worry about running into you-know-who."

"His name isn't taboo, Meredith." Lexie handed Haley over. "Thank you. I'll see you upstairs."

Lexie walked into the residents' locker room and quickly changed into her scrubs, determined to get on a surgical case that would keep her busy and preoccupied. She wanted to forget everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours. She was starting over, brand new. She had her daughter, her sister, her friends and her career, that's all she needed. Pulling her hair into a messy ponytail, she quickly found Dr. Webber, busily charting at the nurses' station.

"Chief." Lexie said.

"Dr. Grey." Chief Webber replied. "How are you doing? I heard about what happened."

"I'm doing okay." Lexie said. "I was actually wondering whose service you wanted me on."

"You are with Robbins today." Richard told her with a smile. "I don't think Plastics is really your forte."

"Thank you, Chief." She said, smiling back.

"Keep your head up. You're gonna get through this, I promise."

"Yes, sir."

Lexie was picking up charts for her morning rounds when Arizona skated up next to her.

"So you're with me and the tiny humans today? Are you ready to see some true joy?" She said with a giant grin.

"I could use some joy." Lexie answered.

Arizona looked at her with sympathy. "I know. Calliope is enraged with Mark."

"I don't really want to talk about Mark, if that's okay with you."

"Of course, well, let's go save a life." Arizona added with pep.

After an appendectomy and a bowel resection, it was time for lunch and Lexie decided to spend it with the one thing that didn't make her want to crawl in a hole and hide from the world. She grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water to sustain her energy and rushed downstairs to see her little girl. Only when she arrived, she saw someone had beaten her to it.

"Oh, hi Dr. Grey." Chelsea greeted, causing Mark to turn around.

"I'm being paged." Lexie muttered and turned around, practically running for the elevator.

"Lexie." She heard behind her. In her mind, she cursed the elevators for being so slow. She made a dash for the stairs, hoping desperately that Mark could take a hint. Apparantly, he couldn't.

"Lexie, come on. Just two minutes, please?" Mark begged.

"Why?" She shot back. "Why should I give you two minutes when you couldn't even give me a lousy thirty second phone call to say 'Hey, you might not want to put on that huge white dress you've been saving.' You left me hanging, Mark. Do you get that? You made me feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot."

"I am. I am because I believed you would be there." She said, on the verge of tears. "I can't stand here and have this conversation."

"Why the hell not? I think you at least owe it to Haley to hear me out." Mark's voice grew louder.

"Do not drag her into this." She said, angrily. "I can't have this conversation because talking to you hurts, Mark. It really hurts! Standing here right now is killing me! Don't you understand that?"

"Lexie, what about Haley?" Mark pleaded.

"Exactly. Did you think about that at all, before you decided you weren't ready?" She shook her head as Mark reached for her hand.

"Don't." Lexie said, pulling away. "You left me standing alone in a church waiting for you. You don't get to decide to show up now." She told him, walking away.

That evening, Lexie and Meredith had picked Haley up from daycare and made their way home from a particularly hectic day. Lexie took her baby up to the attic with her and lay down beside her on the bed. She smiled at her and stroked her face and wondered to herself how on earth her life could be anything but perfect with this tiny miracle to call her own. Haley laughed and Lexie felt her heart swell again.

"I love you so much." She said as she nuzzled up next to the precious baby, kissing her on the cheek.

Meanwhile, Mark threw his keys on the table as he walked into his empty apartment. Things had been extremely depressing since Lexie and Haley disappeared and Mark knew he had no one to blame but himself. In a moment of fear, he screwed everything up and threw away the best thing to ever happen to him. He sat on the couch with a beer and sighed. There was a knock on the door followed by Callie letting herself in.

"Did you fix it, yet?" Callie asked.

Mark just shook his head.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You realize you are letting the single most amazing thing to ever happen to you just slip away, right?" She said.

"You think I don't know that, Callie?" Mark snapped. "You don't think I would give up everything I have right now just to take that day back and do it over?"

"And what exactly would you do over?" Callie asked. "Huh?"

Mark sat in silence.

"Exactly what I thought."

"Torres…" Mark tried.

"No. You know what? You do not get to 'Torres' me." She told him, sternly. "You screwed up, big time. You need to fix this, Mark, I mean it. I love you, but I care about Lexie too and she does not deserve this."

"I know! Alright? Damn, give it a rest, Callie."

"I'm going to go." She said, walking to the door. "Try again."

Mark sat in silence and took in every word Callie said to him. He hated to admit but she was right. He let the most amazing part of his life walk away in one moment of pure stupidity, but he wasn't giving up that easy. "Try again", was what Callie said, and Mark intended to do just that. He was not giving up and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that Lexie knew that.

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have been playing off of the Derek/Mark friendship and I thought it would be interesting to explore the Callie/Mark friendship for a change. Please review, because reviews make my day. Peace & Love, guys. xoxo**


	20. Chapter 20

**I am back…I just saw Footloose today and I have to say I was skeptical at first, but I LOVED it! It was awesome. Julianne Hough and Kenny Wormald were amazing. Great job! Anyway, here is the next chapter, guys. Once again, thanks for being awesome. **

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me but the desire to write my own story.**

A day off. Lexie had forgotten what that felt like. Meredith, Derek, Alex, April, and Jackson were all working while Lexie was lucky enough to score the day off, leaving her and Haley alone in the enormous house they were now calling home. She had cleaned, fed Haley, did the laundry, and watched an early showing of _Grease _on basic cable. As much as she hated being alone, she did enjoy a small vacation from the questions. "Are you okay?" "Can I do anything?" Lexie had grown tired of them all. As Haley laid on the floor, playing with toys, Lexie rushed to answer the phone she heard ringing in the next room.

"Hello?"

"Lexie, I know you're not going to like this and please don't hate me, but Mark is on his way over to the house now." Meredith told her.

"What? Why?" Lexie said, on the verge of panic.

"He asked if you were on call and I said no and then he said that he wanted to take Haley for a little while." She explained.

"Mer, it's my day off. I was spending it with my baby, he can't just come and take her." Lexie said.

"I know. I tried to explain that now was probably not a good time and that he should probably wait and he wouldn't have any of it. I just thought you deserved a warning." Meredith said.

Lexie sighed. "Okay. Thank you."

"Hey, if you really don't want to deal with him, just lock the door and you and Haley can hide in mine and Derek's room. Just pretend you are not home." Meredith offered.

"Thanks." She said.

Hanging up the phone, she began to pick up Haley and her toys to move them into Meredith's room. As she walked upstairs, she thought to herself all she wanted to do was avoid another argument with Mark. She figured they would never see eye to eye on this issue and she wasn't going to get anywhere trying to make him see her side.

"Here we go." Lexie said, laying a blanket on Meredith's bedroom floor and placing Haley on top of it where she quietly continued to play with her toys. "We are just going to stay up here for a little while so we can spend some time just you and me."

Lexie heard the doorbell ring and her gut dropped, as she knew exactly who it was. After several minutes, the doorbell rang again followed by an eager knock and Mark's voice. "Lexie, come on, open up."

After a few more minutes, it became clear that he was not going to give up. Lexie got up and placed the baby gate in Meredith's doorway, just in case Haley should scoot her way out, and walked downstairs to the front door. She opened the door and stood in the doorway, leaving no room for Mark to invite himself inside.

"Hi, Lexie." Mark greeted, awkwardly. "How are you?"

"I'm doing just great." Lexie answered, sarcastically. "And yourself?"

"I miss you." He said.

"What do you want, Mark?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with Haley."

"You can't just drop in uninvited." Lexie told him. "It would be nice if you would let me know in advance."

"I told Meredith." He defended himself.

"Last time I checked, Meredith wasn't Haley's mother. If you would have called Haley's actual mother you would have known that today wasn't a very good day." She told him.

"Lexie-" Mark tried.

"Look, I have to get back to Haley, okay? We're done here." She said, walking back in the door.

Mark sighed as he heard the lock click and could not understand how things had gotten so screwed up, how he had **let **things get so screwed up. However, he wasn't giving up. He took a seat on the front porch steps and decided to get comfortable. He had a feeling that he was going to be there for a while. A few hours later, Lexie walked out the front door to check the mail, finding Mark sitting on the porch, falling asleep.

"Mark." She whispered. "Mark."

Mark jumped. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"I was just sitting here and then I guess I fell asleep. I had a pretty long night last night." Mark told her.

Lexie couldn't help but feel slightly moronic for being so mean. "Hey, do you want some water or something? You're looking kind of sluggish."

"Water would be great." He told her.

She nodded her head toward the front door and Mark hesitantly followed.

"Thank you." Mark said.

"Yep." She said.

"Where is Haley?" He asked her.

"Sleeping." Lexie answered. "She usually takes a nap around now."

"Right." Mark said. "I guess I forgot. It's been weird not having you guys at the apartment."

"It's been weird for me, too." She said, handing him a glass of water. "But I don't want to go there."

"Go where? Lexie I just want to talk."

"I know what you're trying to do." Lexie said, growing frustrated. "You're trying to weasel your way back in and I can't-"

"I'm not trying to do anything but get back what's mine. My child and the woman I love." Mark said.

"I can't do this." Lexie said, walking past Mark.

"Wait." He said, grabbing her arms. "Look at me. In my eyes and tell me you don't still love me."

"Of course I still love you." Lexie said with a sigh.

"As long as we love each other than the rest will work itself out." Mark said.

"Are you delusional?" Lexie asked. "We loved each other before and guess what? Things didn't work out. Things got pretty damn messy."

"I'm sorry for that." Mark said. "I really am. I don't know how else to say it. I do know that I am going crazy without you guys. I need you to just come home and let me show you that I can make this right."

Lexie paused and looked at him, the man in front of him looked do hurt and lost. "I don't think you can, and that's not your fault, okay? I'm not going to keep being angry at you for something that has already happened. You did what you did and it's done. I wish 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' made everything better, but it doesn't and I can't do anything to change that. Please understand."

"I can't understand that!" Mark shot back. "I can't understand why you won't fight for us?"

"Because fighting is killing me, Mark!" She regained her composure and continued. "I don't have any fight left, because all the strength I have is helping me to stay strong for that little girl up there. I can't be strong for you to help you feel better after you screwed it up. I won't."

"I'm not going anywhere." Mark said, as she walked away.

"Mark-"

"No. You can run and you can tell me it doesn't change anything, but one day you're going to wake up and realize that this is it." Mark said. "You're it for me, Little Grey."

"Okay." Lexie said, holding the front door open. "We'll see."

"Yes, we will." Mark told her. "Kiss Haley for me when she wakes up and tell her I love her."

"Of course." Lexie said. "Drive safe."

Lexie closed the front door and went to the attic to check on her sleeping daughter. Haley was still sound asleep in her crib and Lexie couldn't help but sit and watch. It was the simplest yet most soothing thing in the world to her. For the first time since that awful day, Lexie was able to have a semi-civil conversation with Mark. She felt that things were looking up and she wanted more than anything for everything to just get better. She loved Mark, with all her heart, she just wasn't so sure that she could trust him with it again.

**This chapter was a little shorter but I think it still got the job done. I am making Mark work for it. I will try to have more character interaction in the next chapter. This one was mainly centered on Slexie. Until next time, guys. Read and review! Peace & Love, xoxo.**

**P.S. Go see Footloose, it is UH-mazing! : ) **


	21. Chapter 21

**I just want to take a second to once again thank each and every one of you who who have supported this story. Whether, it be those who have followed from the beginning or those who are just now discovering this story. You all mean the world to me and I am so grateful that you guys have supported me. There are many chapters to come and I hope you all continue to follow me on this literary adventure. **

**Disclaimer:**** Grey's Anatomy and all its characters belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC Studios.**

It had been a month and a half since Mark and Lexie had last spoken and continued to make it clear that he was still in love with her. He sent flowers, spent every moment he could with Haley, and he even wrote letters; none of which Lexie had opened. The idea of what those letters held terrified her beyond belief. Having Mark around didn't help her feelings either. He was around every Sunday for football with Derek, plus there were the awkward meetings when he would pick up or drop off Haley. All in all, she was finding it harder and harder to push him away. Lexie had the afternoon free as Derek took Haley to the supermarket with him, leaving her and Meredith to keep each other company. The pair were cleaning, something they found to be therapeutic when having a rough day.

"I think you should give it a shot." Meredith told her.

"What if I get hurt again, Mer?" Lexie asked. "There is a reason the man has the reputation that he has earned, okay? It's nearly impossible for him to commit."

"I knew him when he first showed up here and yes, the reputation held true, but, Lexie, I don't think I have ever seen anyone look at someone the way he looks at you." She explained. "When you hurt, he hurts. When you're upset, he looks for who's responsible. It's kind of poetic."

"Where do you get this crap?" Lexie asked, clearly not buying it.

"It's obvious."

"Really? Obvious?"

"Only to a guy on the sidewalk with a dog selling pencils." Meredith paused at Lexie's confusion. "Yes, it's obvious. When are you going to quit fighting it and just accept that a really great guy wants to be with you?"

"I don't know. Maybe when you finally learn that you are not the best person to be giving relationship advice." Lexie retorted. "You tried to drown yourself, for God's sake."

"Hey." Meredith said. "That's all water under the bridge. No pun intended."

"I'm sorry. Just this whole Mark situation is completely stressing me out."

"Can I ask you a question? I want a completely honest answer."

Lexie nodded.

"Do you still love him? I mean, enough to really see a future with him?" Meredith asked.

Lexie sighed. "I hate to say it, but I do. It's like despite all the bad he's done, I'm still in love with him. I can't help it." She paused, looking down. "I see myself growing old with him and sharing my days with him, but that doesn't mean it is the right thing."

"Oh, jeez. If you want him Lexie, go get him. Stop trying to figure out whether or not it is right because it only matters if it is right for you." Meredith said.

"You don't get it. Okay? This didn't happen to you." Lexie said.

"No, you're right. I only fell hard for a guy to find out he was married." She explained. "I know a thing or two about what it's like to be hurt, and I know what it looks like when you're hiding. Stop hiding."

"I'm not feeling so well, I think I'm going to go lay down." Lexie said, walking out of the kitchen and heading upstairs.

"Lexie." Meredith tried. "Nice, Meredith. Way to go." She said to herself.

Lexie knew on some level Meredith was right. She was hiding. Part of her thought that if she went for what she wanted she would just be sorry for it later. Hiding was just easier, safer. As long, as she hid, Mark couldn't hurt her again. Meredith was right though, she couldn't hide forever. She decided to break out of her protective shell. She picked out her best jeans and a red fitted tee. She added her Converse Chuck Taylors to the ensemble; she preferred comfort over raunch and headed downstairs to let Meredith know she would be heading to Joe's, but as she rounded the corner she heard two men's voices.

"Mark, I don't get it." Derek said.

Lexie backtracked and hid around the corner. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but she couldn't help herself.

"Derek, I said I don't want to talk about it." Mark said, irritated.

"Just tell me why you chickened out." He told him. "Everyone was excited, including you, and then all of a sudden, you're out. What's going on with you, man?"

"Derek." Mark tried.

"You can talk to me, man." He told him.

"I'm scared." Mark said, looking down.

"Scared?" Derek asked, trying to make sure he had heard correctly.

"Yeah." Mark explained. "She is perfect, Derek. She's too perfect. Everytime she looks at me, I don't understand what she sees. So when it came time to tie the knot, I panicked. I felt like, no matter what I did, I wouldn't measure of to the kind of man she deserves. That's what it boiled down to…fear."

"You should have told her." Derek said.

"Derek, you knew my parents, okay? Marriage wasn't exactly a happy thing when it came to them. I'm scared we will end up like that." Mark said. "Yeah. I'm scared. It's not easy to admit."

"Yeah, but at least you did." Derek said, patting him on the back. "I have a feeling it will all work out."

"I hope you're right. I miss her so much." He told him.

Lexie ran upstairs and practically barged into Meredith's room.

"Lexie, what the hell?" Meredith said.

"I'm going to do it." She told her, proud.

"Do what? Knock? Because if you don't know how, I can show you. You just do this-" She said, demonstrating a fist.

"I'm going to talk to him." Lexie said with a smile.

"Mark?"

"No, Johnny Depp." Lexie said, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Mark!"

"What changed?" Meredith inquired.

"I just realized that maybe we both have fears and maybe if we can talk them out we can reach some sort of medium and make it work. I feel like I owe it to him and to Haley to at least try." She explained.

"Well, I'm glad and just know no matter what you choose, I'll support you." Meredith told her.

"Thank you." Lexie said, hugging her sister.

She turned around and walked to the door, before turning back.

"Oh do you think you and Derek could watch Haley for a couple hours?" Lexie asked.

"Of course." Meredith said. "Go get the guy."

Lexie waited around the house until Mark went home. She borrowed Meredith's car and drove downtown. She rode the elevator and walked to apartment door that had become so eerily familiar to her. She tried her best to mentally prepare herself for what she was getting herself into. She shook her head and turned to walk back to the elevator. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. No. She had to do this. She willed herself to walk back, she firmly planted her feet on the ground, thought about what she would say, and knocked. She found herself holding her breath. Mark opened the door, wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt she could tell he just threw on. From the glistening of his skin, she could tell he was probably working out.

"Lexie." Mark said, surprised. "What are you-"

"Heights." Lexie blurted out.

"What?"

"Heights, and clowns." Lexie said. "Two of my biggest fears."

"I don't understand." Mark said, confused.

"I am afraid of heights and clowns, but most of all, I'm afraid of you." Lexie said.

"What?" He said, looking her in the eye as she continued.

"I'm afraid of getting hurt, of getting left behind." She said, tearing up. "And I'm afraid of how you make me feel."

"Lexie-"

"No one has ever made me feel like you do and that scares me because the idea of losing it is completely devastating to me." She said, beginning to cry.

"Come here." Mark said, taking her into a soft embrace.

"You're not going to lose anything." He comforted her. "No one makes me feel like you do, either, and that's not something I can just forget."

She sniffled in his shirt. "I miss you." She whispered.

"I miss you, too." Mark said. "I'm sorry I screwed everything up. I had everything I ever wanted and in a flat second I had nothing."

"Everyone is afraid of something. Next time, you have to talk to me about these things, that way if there is a freak out, we can freak out together." She told him.

"Next time?" Mark asked, his face full of hope.

"You didn't rent out my space did you?" Lexie said, anxious.

"Get in here." Mark said, pulling her into the apartment and kissing her intensely. The two broke apart, breathing heavily, their foreheads pressed together.

"Where is Haley?" He asked.

"Mer has her. We have a couple hours." She told him.

"Perfect." Mark said with a smile.

**Read and review! Also, if you guys are having any negative thoughts toward the story, let me know what you might like to see, if you have any suggestions. Until next time, Peace and Love xoxo**


	22. Chapter 22

**I hope that you all are still enjoying this story. I don't want it to become stiff and boring so I am trying my best to keep this story fresh and interesting. I know Lexie going back to Mark again happened quickly, but my reasoning was that Lexie loves him so much and he makes her so happy that she almost isn't afraid to go back because that happiness that she feels, even for a little while, is worth it. Better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all. Be advised though, that just because she has agreed to come home, doesn't mean they are through the rough patch.**

**ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer:**** I wish I may, I wish I might but nothing belongs to me. Sad face.**

Lexie couldn't believe that she was waking up next to Mark, she was glad to have him back and she couldn't help but be happy with him. Yet, still she couldn't help but have her doubts. Mark had hurt her plenty. First Addison, and now this. Anyone who knew any better would call this a pattern. Clearly, didn't know any better. Last night was incredible. They spent the entire night talking and just being together. No sex, which she was relieved about. She looked beside her, noticing Mark was still sound asleep with his arm over her waist. Not wanting to wake him up, she slowly tried to sit up. Mark tightened his grip and made an awkward groan before drifting back to sleep. She waited a few seconds then tried again. This time, she slowly slid out from under his arm, instead of sitting up. One foot on the floor, then two, almost home free, then Lexie crashed to the floor with a thud. She cringed hoping to get up and find Mark still snoring like a buzzsaw. She slowly stood up and tiptoed to the door when Mark's voice stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

Lexie jumped. "Oh, um, I just have some stuff I have to do and I borrowed Meredith's car so I have to get it back to her and um, I, well the um, I-"

Mark looked at her like she had two heads.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Lexie said, turning around.

"When will you be home tonight?" He asked.

"Well, I'll be at the hospital pretty late so I should just crash at Meredith's so I don't bother you." She said.

"What?" Mark said, blatantly lost.

"It's fine." She told him. "Don't worry."

"Lexie-"

"I'm late." She said practically dashing out of the apartment.

Mark laid back down completely confused. He had no clue what had just happened. Meanwhile, Lexie quietly walked in the front door of the home she shared with her sister. She tried to be as silent as possible so she wouldn't wake anyone. Making her way upstairs, she cringed as each stair creaked under her weight. When she finally reached the landing she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Where have you been?" Meredith asked, more like a prison warden.

"You knew I was going to go talk to Mark."

"Yes, I knew you going to go talk to him. I didn't know you were going to spend all night playing naked twister. I mean, Lexie, seriously?" Meredith continued. "I know you love him but this is a little fast, even for you."

"Mer." Lexie tried.

"Now he is going to think he can screw you over whenever he wants because you'll still sleep with him. Damn it, Lexie. What the hell is wrong with you?" Meredith finished.

"I didn't have sex with him." Lexie told her as she gave her a conspicuous look. "Really. We just talked."

"Just talked?" Meredith double-checked.

"Just talked." Lexie said. "I'm going to go get dressed. I'm late."

"Hurry up and Derek will drive you." Meredith yelled after her.

Lexie spent all day on scut, thanks to Cristina who noticed that she had not exactly been on her A game. Therefore Lexie spent her days, refilling supply closets and organizing medical supplies. She daydreamed of the day when she wouldn't have to deal with this. She was neatly stacking IVs and suture kits when Callie walked in.

"Oh, hey Little Grey."

"Dr. Torres." Lexie answered, happily.

"What's with the formality?" She asked.

"Just a joke. So how's it going?" Lexie asked, politely.

"Can't complain." The pair sat in awkward silence for what felt like hours before Callie responded again. "I'm sorry about Mark, the whole thing is just extremely stupid and if you ask me, he needs to man up and just prove himself."

"Callie, Mark and I are fine. I talked to him last night." Lexie said.

"Oh, I wonder why he didn't say anything. He was still moping we when we got coffee this morning." Callie said, pulling out her phone and typing furiously.

Lexie shrugged her shoulders and continued with her neat piles.

"Oh, did you see any cast padding?" Callie asked, as Lexie handed it to her over her shoulder. "You are an angel. Thanks." She said running back out to the hall.

It was the end of Lexie's shift, and she kept finding little things to keep her busy. She alphabetized all of Derek's charts, rewrote Alex's post-op notes so they were actually legible, and even helped the chief fine tune his speech for his presentation at Seattle Presbyterian. She walked over to Dr. Altman who was scribbling something down on a chart and looking at her watch.

"Do you need anything else?"

"Grey, you're still here?" Teddy asked, confused.

"Yeah, I just wanted to help out, you know? Be here, in case anyone needed anything." Lexie told her.

"No, it's fine." Teddy waved at her. "Go home. Get some sleep. You earned it."

"Are you sure? Because I can-"

"Goodnight, Grey." Teddy spoke, walking away.

As Lexie walked up the porch steps, her phone chirped for what seemed like the millionth time that day. She already knew who it was, but looked at it anyway.

Mark.

She sighed and opened the front door. She took her coat off and hung on the rack beside the door, before walking into the living room where Meredith and Derek were enjoying a bottle of wine while sprawled on the couch.

"Hey, I'm home."

"Hey." Derek said, laughing at something Meredith had said.

"Hey, girly." Meredith said, obviously feeling the buzz.

"Hi. Where's Haley?" Lexie said, trying not to giggle at Meredith's borderline ridiculous behavior.

"She fell asleep so I put her in her crib. Here you go." Derek said, tossing her the baby monitor. "She hasn't made a peep. Good baby, that one."

"The best." Lexie answered. "Goodnight, you guys." She said, walking upstairs.

"Good night." The couple said in unison.

Lexie closed the attic door quietly, and walked into the dark room. She turned the baby monitor off and set it on the table by the door. She kicked her shoes off and fell onto the bed. She sighed and rolled over, almost screaming when she saw a figure sitting in the rocking chair, holding her baby.

"It's just me." Mark said.

"What are you doing here?" Lexie said, her voice a mixture of anger and annoyance.

"I missed you guys." He said, getting up and placing Haley in her bed. "Plus I wanted to ask you why you wanted to stay here and not come back home."

"I want to come back home." She told him. "It was just easier with my schedule to stay here so no one was imposed on."

"You haven't forgiven me." Mark simply stated.

Lexie scoffed. "Don't be stupid. I forgave you last night."

"No you didn't." Mark looked down, awkwardly. "You still haven't."

"Mark." She said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Come here." He said, holding his hand out.

Lexie got up and hesitantly took his hand as he led her over to where their daughter was resting. He guided her hand down to the baby and placed it on the little girl's chest, right over where her heart was located.

"You feel that?" He asked her.

Lexie nodded.

"That is proof that we can make something beautiful together." Mark said. "You and me. We can make something good. She is proof of that."

Lexie stood in complete silence, focusing on the rise and fall of Haley's chest as she slept peacefully.

"All I'm asking is for you to give me that chance again." He said.

"I'm trying." Lexie said. "I already told you, Mark. I'm scared."

"So am I. I'm terrified." He said, grabbing her hands and holding them in his own. "I know we can do this. Together, we can do this. Just take my hand and we can close our eyes and jump…together."

Lexie looked up, not able to form words, she just nodded. Mark took her into a huge hug and closed his eyes as he took in her smell and her presence in his arms. As they both let go, Mark rubbed Lexie's arms trying to make her feel more at ease. Lexie looked around the room, before her eyes landed back on Mark, causing her to force a smile.

"I think I'm going to go." Mark said, walking away as Lexie just stood and watched. Mark opened the door and looked back at her for a couple seconds before proceeding.

"Mark." Lexie stopped him. "You want to just sleep here?"

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

"Yeah. It'll be just like the good times, only with a baby." She said, pointing to the crib in the corner of the attic.

"It'll be great times." Mark said kissing her before they both settled into Lexie uncomfortable bed. Lexie knew was taking a risk, but she figured if you don't take the risk for love, then what do you take it for. All she could do was take a leap of faith and hope against hope that Mark would be there to catch her.

**I hope this chapter measured up. I found it a little more difficult to write and I have no idea why. There was less Haley in this chapter but don't worry there will be plenty of her to come. Until next time, read and review. Peace & Love xoxo**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry it has been slightly longer than usual, I had some unexpected work stuff come up. I am still kind of surprised that so many of you are still interested in this story. I thank each and every one of you sincerely. It feels so good to have that kind of support.**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing. Everyone and everything is property of Shonda Rhimes and ABC.**

It had been one week since Lexie decided to try again with Mark. She felt she owed it to herself to at least try. She didn't want to be a bitter old lady, whining about what could have been. If it could be, she wanted to find out now. She had moved back to his apartment and tried to take things one step at a time. It was mid-afternoon and Mark was on-call while Lexie had the day off. She was doing laundry and Haley was playing in her playpen. It was the textbook definition of a boring day. Lexie heard her phone ring and practically jumped over the coffee table to answer it. It was the most excitement she had gotten all day.

"Hello?"

"How are my two favorite girls?"

"Oh, Mark." Lexie said with a sigh.

"Well, hello to you too." He answered. "Who were you expecting? The Dalai Lama?"

"No. Don't be ridiculous." She said. "We are fine."

"Good." He told her. "I'm on way to scrub in on a rhinoplasty, but I just wanted to check in and make sure you guys were okay."

"Everything is fine. Haley can't wait to see you, have a good surgery." Lexie told him.

"I will. I love you."

"Love you, too." She said, hanging up the phone.

"That was your daddy." Lexie said to her daughter, who was now propped up on all fours. Haley had been crawling for a couple weeks and Lexie wished she knew how to keep her still. "Come on, let's change your diaper. It's almost naptime."

Lexie laid Haley on the couch and removed and placed a new diaper on her. She turned to reach for a jumper to put her in when she saw her try to crawl. It happened too fast. She threw her body to the side and crashed to the floor, cutting her forehead on the leg of the coffee table.

"Oh, my God." Lexie cried, picking up her screaming infant. She checked the cut and was relieved to find it was small an required no medical attention. She comforted her and made sure she was not scared, then kept her awake, just in case of a concussion. About four hours later, bandaged and better, she was playing with her toys again.

"Just so you know, you can't do things like that, missy." Lexie said, crouching next to her. "Don't scare me like that ever again."

Haley just cooed.

"Good, and by the way, you're grounded." She said with a smile, as she heard the front door open.

"Hey." Lexie said, greeting Mark with a kiss. "How did the rhinoplasty go?"

"Perfect. As always." He answered, with the smug grin she had grown to love.

Lexie shook her head as Mark walked over and picked up his little girl.

"Hi, baby. Did you miss Daddy?" He said, before noticing the Band-Aid. "What the hell happened?"

"She had a little accident. She fell off the couch when I was changing her, she tried to crawl away and she scraped herself on the table." She explained. "She's okay. I checked it all out."

"And you thought that was enough." Mark said, his voice growing louder.

"What are you talking about?" Lexie asked, genuinely confused.

"You should have called me or at least brought her up to the hospital." Mark began to rant. "Lexie, it could be serious."

"She is fine. I made sure she was okay."

"You didn't do anything!" Mark yelled.

"Okay, first of all, stop yelling and second of all, I got a medical degree too!" Lexie yelled back, fed up. "You don't think if I thought it was serious I would have taken her in."

"Well it may not be serious to you, but I am going to have Derek run a CT." He said gathering the diaper bag.

"Seriously?" Lexie said. "You're going to have Derek run a CT for a scratch?"

"Yeah, and if you were really concerned, you would come with me." Mark shot.

"Don't question my motives like that." She said, throwing her running shoes on. "Let's go then. Let's go have Derek tell us there is absolutely nothing wrong."

"Lexie." Mark said, warning.

"Sorry."

Thirty minutes later, all three doctors were waiting while the CT ran.

"How exactly did this happen?" Derek asked.

"Lexie let her fall off the couch." Mark said, half irritated and half humor.

"Mark." Lexie started.

"Sorry, she pushed her off the couch." Mark said with a chuckle.

"I will punch you in the ear." She said with a glare.

Before they knew it, the CT was finished and Mark was pulling his daughter out.

"Well, the good news is, I always love to see my niece." Derek said. "The bad news is, there is nothing remotely wrong with this precious little girl."

"Ha." Lexie said.

"I wanted to be better safe than sorry." He said.

"I was safe." Lexie protested. "You just refuse to listen."

"Really?" Mark continued. "I refuse to listen?"

"Yeah, you do."

"Okay." Derek interrupted. "I'm going to go back to work. You two should take this whole love fest home."

After a silent drive home, Lexie broke the silence as they walked in the front door.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She started. "I just didn't want you to panic when there was nothing to panic over."

Mark sighed.

"I'm an idiot and it won't happen again."

"No, I'm an idiot." Mark said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I know you love Haley more than anything and you have her best interest at heart."

"Can we agree on nothing?" Lexie laughed.

"No, I guess not." Mark smiled.

"Well, I'm going to go put her to bed." Lexie nodded to Haley, who was fast asleep in her car seat.

Lexie gently placed the sleeping infant in her crib and lightly draped a blanket over her, kissed her forehead and turned the baby monitor on before exiting the room, closing the door behind her. She then changed clothes and crawled into the huge bed she shared with Mark. He was reading a book and Lexie began applying lotion to her body. This had become routine for them.

"I really am sorry I made you feel bad." Mark said, closing his book.

"I'm sorry I let it happen." She answered, placing her lotion in the drawer.

"It's not your fault. Don't start believing that it is, because I was an ass." Mark said, caressing her face.

"I love you." Lexie said, kissing him.

"You make it impossible to think when you do that." Mark said as they broke apart for air.

"No." Lexie said, climbing on top to straddle him. "No thinking." She said before she kissed him again, harder.

"Lexie." Mark said, trying to slow her down.

"What?" She said frustrated.

"Don't you think we are moving a little fast?"

"Why?" She asked. "I want to. Don't you?"

"Of course I do." He told her.

"Then what is the problem?" She asked removing his old Columbia T-shirt she was wearing.

"Problem?" Mark said. "No problem at all."

Mark took her into a deep kiss and rolled over so that she was now pinned under him. They broke apart only long enough for Mark to remove his shirt before he kissed her again.

"God, I love you." Lexie said as they breathed heavily.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Little Grey." Mark said, kissing her again.

**I hope you guys enjoyed and I hope you guys are sticking with the story. I don't wanna do anything to radical yet so just bear with me. I love you all and I will update soon. Peace & Love xoxo**


	24. Chapter 24

**I am back! Thanks for the positive reviews! This time around I would like to thank Jime-GA-Lover, polkadot-scalpels, BekaRoo, and Ankaz123 for always being so positive and supportive. You guys rock! So, did everyone watch tonight's episode of Grey's with the softball game? Lexie hitting Mark's girlfriend in the boob really made my night. They may not be back together yet but they are on the right track. Without further ado, here we go. **

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing is mine, all property of Ms. Shonda Rhimes**

It had been two sleepless nights for Mark and Lexie. Haley had begun teething and it was not easy on anyone. Lexie stayed up with her all night and Mark did what he could to help, which most of the time was trying to calm her down and just calling Lexie to help him later. They were both beat and it was starting to take its toll. The pair began bickering over just about anything and then spend hours in awkward silence. Most of this they blamed on the sleep deprivation. On the rare occasion that Haley fell asleep, both parents used the opportunity to catch up on their own rest. Lexie walked into the bedroom after putting Haley down for the night and collapsed on the bed where Mark laid flipping through television channels.

"She is finally out." Lexie said with a sigh.

"I didn't realize the power of a baby's lungs until now." Mark said.

"I just don't know what to do for her?" She told him.

"It will pass. We'll get through this." He said, squeezing her hand to comfort her.

Lexie nodded, crawled under the covers, and turned the light off.

"We should probably grab some sleep while we can." Lexie told Mark, hoping he would catch the hint and turn the tv off. After about five minutes, Lexie rolled over.

"Seriously?" Lexie said.

"What?" Mark asked, confused.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, what?"

With that, Lexie grabbed the remote and turned the tv off before throwing the remote off the side of the bed. With a sigh of relief, she turned over and began trying to go to sleep.

"Lexie, what the hell?" Mark asked, baffled.

"We need to go to sleep." She explained.

"You know lately we have been bickering a lot." He told her.

"I know." She sighed before rolling over and resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you. I don't mean to."

"Baby, I know." Mark replied. "I'm just saying we have been bickering, like an old married couple."

"Yeah. I know, and like I said, I am sorry-"

"No, Lex, we are acting like an old, married couple." He said, raising an eyebrow. "We could make it official."

"Mark."

"No. Wait. Just hear me out." Mark started. "I know I wasn't there for you before, but I am now. I am here and I'm not going anywhere. I want you. You're my forever, Lexie."

"I don't think I'm ready to go down that road again." She answered.

"Lexie-"

"We've been doing really good, taking it slow." She said, carefully choosing every word. "I don't want to screw it up by trying to move faster now."

"Okay." Mark said hesitantly. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Mark." Lexie said, apologetically. "Please don't be upset. I do love you, you have to believe that."

"I do." Mark said.

"Good. The rest will fall into place when it's right, I promise." Lexie said looking into his ice blue eyes.

"I know it will. Everything will be fine as long as you are here." He said. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She said kissing him deeply. The crying baby on the baby monitor broke them apart. Mark groaned slightly before Lexie giggled.

"I'll go." She said.

Lexie walked into Haley's room and picked her up.

"Hey there, little girl. Whatcha doin'?" She said, feeling inside her mouth.

Her gums were swollen. Lexie headed with the baby to the kitchen where she took a rubber toy out of the freezer and eased it into Haley's mouth. Haley immediately grabbed it and seemed to calm herself as she soothed her teeth with the frozen toy. Lexie returned to Haley's room and sat with her in the rocking chair.

"You look so thoughtful." She said. "I wish I knew what you were thinking about."

Haley made a strange noise that caused Lexie to giggle in return.

"I hope I'm doing this right. Being a mom." She said as she held her baby's little hand, rocking back and forth. "I thought I had everything worked out when you arrived, but I think you're probably aware that things got a little messy."

Mark quietly appeared in the doorway, Lexie remained oblivious, deep in conversation with her daughter.

"Now, Daddy wants to make everything right. He wants to really be there for me, for us. All I want to do is say yes, but I can't because I want to be sure that you and I don't get hurt again." She just stared at Haley. "Oh, don't look at me like that. It's not as easy as you might think. I don't know if it's right. It needs to be right. You know what I mean?"

Lexie looked at her daughter for a reaction and found her fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams, jellybean." Lexie said kissing her forehead, slowly getting up, and placing her in her crib. She made her way to the door and gasped when she noticed Mark.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked after she closed Haley's door.

"Long enough to know that you look to our daughter for relationship advice." He said with a chuckle.

"Hey." Lexie said, pointing to Haley's room. "That baby knows her stuff, alright?"

"Yeah. I bet." He said, taking her into a hug. "What do you say we try and grab some sleep, Momma?"

"Whatever you say, Dad." Lexie laughed.

The next morning, Lexie woke up, sprawled across the bed. Mark was nowhere to be found, but in his place laid a note.

_Lex,_

_Took Haley to the park for a walk. We didn't want to wake you._

_Be back by 10:00._

_-Mark _

Lexie sighed and gathered some clothes before heading to the shower. She let the hot water wash over her. It was the one place, the one moment in the last few days, where she actually had peace. She stood there for a while before her eyes shot open. She got out of the shower, grabbed her towel and dressed quickly. She was drying her hair with the towel when she walked in the living room, greeted by her boyfriend and child walking in the front door.

"Hey, how was the park?"

"Great." Mark answered. "I took Haley and we fed the ducks."

"You saw ducks?" Lexie said crouching down to Haley's stroller. "Did you see ducks?" Lexie stood back up.

"Yes." She said.

"Huh?" Mark responded.

"I'll do it. I'll marry you." Lexie told him.

"Seriously?" Mark said, picking her up and spinning around.

"I just have two conditions." Lexie said.

"Of course. Anything." Mark said, listening closely.

"No wedding. I want to do it down at city hall." Lexie said.

"Deal." Mark replied.

"And second. We do it tomorrow. I don't want you to have time to chicken out again. If we are going to do this, then we are going to do this now."

"Okay." Mark said, smiling at her.

"Okay." Lexie said with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips. "So what now?"

"You tell me."

Lexie just kissed him. Madly, deeply, passionately. Mark reciprocated and pulled her closer to him. Lexie pushed him back, both gasping for air as they broke apart.

"What?" Mark asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Baby." Lexie said, pointing down.

"Well, isn't it naptime?" Mark said with a grin.

"It can be." Lexie said, walking to the bedroom. "I'll meet you in here."

Mark picked Haley up and carried her to her bedroom.

"Okay, princess. I promise, ten bucks if you just go to sleep for Daddy, okay?" He said as Haley giggled.

**There it is, another chapter. I tried to include more interaction with Haley and I think I did pretty well. Seriously though, who else has seen the preview for next week's episode. Looks like we are going to have some tense Mark and Lexie interaction. I cannot wait. Please read and reviews. Reviews make me smile. And thanks again for reading. Love. xoxo**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! Thank you all for reviewing and being awesome as usual. I am extremely excited for tomorrow's episode of Grey's Anatomy. Lexie and Jackson tension…it is going to be awesome. I hope you all enjoy this next installment. = )**

**Disclaimer:**** All rights belong to Shonda Rhimes. I own nothing.**

Lexie anxiously tapped her fingers as she and Mark waited at the courthouse. She knew she was ready for this, but she couldn't help but find herself feeling nervous. That was normal, right?

"Are you okay?" Mark asked, looking at her skeptically.

"Of course." Lexie smiled awkwardly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's okay if you don't want to do this. We can just wait until you're ready." He told her.

"Don't be stupid. We are doing this. I am fine, okay?" She said.

"Lexie-"

"Shh!"

"Lexie." He tried again.

"Hey we're here." Meredith said, walking in with Derek right behind her.

"Oh, thank God." Lexie said with a sigh. "Hey, Derek."

"Little Grey."

"Okay, let's do this." Lexie said, clapping her hands and walking to the coordinator.

"What is wrong with her?" Meredith asked.

"I don't know." Mark answered. "She's just been weird."

"Who is watching Haley?" Derek asked.

"Callie took her."

"Ah."

"Okay, they're ready for us." Lexie said, practically dragging Mark and Meredith behind her.

When the two couples made it to the room where the actual wedding would take place, Lexie felt a wave of relief wash over her. It was a feeling so couldn't quite explain, but she knew she felt safe.

"Hello. My name is David Campbell and I will be performing the ceremony today. Mark and Alexandra, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct." Mark answered.

"Okay." David continued. "I see you have your witnesses. Would you prefer reciting you own vows or traditional?"

"Traditional is great." Lexie said.

"Alright then."

Lexie took a deep breath as she took Mark's hand.

"Mark and Alexandra, you are here today to declare your lifelong commitment to one another before myself and the two witnesses who stand before us. Mark, do you vow to love Alexandra, to cherish her, and to remain loyal only to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Mark said, without hesitation, causing Lexie to giggle a little with joy.

"Alexandra, do you vow to love Mark, to cherish him, and to remain loyal only to him, as long as you both shall live?" David asked.

Lexie breathed deep. "I do." She said with a huge grin.

"Alright. At this time, if you have rings, you may exchange them."

"I don't have a wedding band for you." Lexie said with a shocked expression.

"Actually." Derek said. "I took the liberty of taking care of that."

He handed Lexie a small box. She opened it to find a flawless, silver band.

"I had my mom help me pick just the right one. I figured she was the woman who knew you the best, next to this one of course." Derek said with a smile.

"Thank you." Lexie said.

She slowly placed the ring on Mark left hand before Mark reached in his jacket pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.

"I had these custom made." Mark said. "I hope they are what you wanted."

Opening the box, Mark revealed a simple, yet gorgeous engagement ring with a diamond encrusted wedding band that fit perfectly into it.

"Shut up!" Lexie said. "It's perfect, Mark." She told her as he slid it on her left ring finger.

"Okay." David said. "By the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mr. Sloan, you may kiss your beautiful bride."

The newly married couple shared a beautifully innocent kiss.

"Yay." Lexie said with a giggle.

Lexie and Mark walked into their apartment greeted by Callie who was walking in the living room from the hallway.

"Hey." She said. "My little buddy didn't last very long. She crashed so I put her in her room."

"Thank you so much for doing this." Lexie said.

"Of course." Callie told her. "I'm gonna get out of here and let you guys get some sleep."

"Good night, Callie." Lexie said, taking her coat off.

"Oh, congratulations. You guys deserve happiness." Callie said as she walked out the door.

"Thanks, Torres." Mark said.

After checking on the baby and showering, Lexie and Mark settled in their bed, hoping to get a good night's sleep. The next morning, Mark woke to Lexie, hitting him with a pillow.

"Get up." She said. "We're going to be late and you know what happens to the parents that are late? They are judged. Instantly."

"What is going on?" Mark said, trying to wake up fully.

"You forgot." Lexie said with an exasperated sigh. "So typical."

"Forgot what?"

"Seriously? We have the mommy and daddy playgroup with the babies today." Lexie said. "I scheduled it months ago."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm up." He said, slowly crawling out of bed.

"You have five minutes. We are already late." Picking up her purse and the baby, she turned to Mark. "We'll be in the car."

The playgroup was not what they were expecting. They walked into a room full of what looked to Lexie to be rich moms and dads with perfect little children who barely moved or made any noise.

"Hi. My name is Alyssa and I'm the instructor for today's class." Said the perky and cheerful, blonde who greeted them. "What's this little one's name?"

"Haley." Mark said. "Haley Sloan."

"Alrighty then, we are just waiting for a couple other people and then we'll begin the with the Welcome Cheer."

"The Welcome Cheer?" Mark said after she walked away.

"Suck it up. We are doing this." Lexie said.

They picked a spot to sit on the floor with the baby and after a few minutes were greeted by a mom who looked like she walked right out of a Betty Crocker cookbook. Perfect hair, perfect smile, and matching perfect heels and pearls. Lexie started to feel inferior as she looked down at her ripped jeans and worn Converse high tops.

"Oh, hi there. I'm Claire and this is my son, Branden. Are you first time parents, too?"

"Yeah. This is our daughter Haley. My name is Lexie and this is Mark."

"She is pretty cute." Claire said. "You must be so proud."

"Yeah, we like her." Mark said with a grin.

"This is my husband, Brad." Claire introduced the gorgeous man who sat next to her.

"Hi, how are you?" He greeted.

"Hey." Mark nodded.

"Okay, everybody." Alyssa announced. "Today, we are going to be working on the basics with the kids. Crawling, grabbing, and building. We are also going to work on communication with your baby. So, I am going to make my way around the room and see where we are."

"Honey, Branden is going to be so bored. I knew this class would be too easy for him." Claire said.

"Too easy?" Lexie asked.

"Yeah. Branden is already pulling himself up and trying to walk." Claire explained. "He is advanced."

"How old is he?" Mark asked.

"Ten months." The same age as Haley.

Lexie laughed before elbowing Mark. "We have to leave this place immediately."

"Why? What's wrong?" Mark said.

"Haley is going to be behind. Building? Trying to walk? She isn't doing any of that, we can't even get her to crawl when we want her to." Lexie said, on the verge of panic.

"Hey, she has skills that they might not." Mark defended.

"Farts don't count, Mark." Lexie said, causing a mock frown.

"It will be okay. She is going to do just fine." He told her.

Claire turned around, "I couldn't help but overhear. Haley isn't moving quite as fast as the rest of us, huh?"

"I'm sorry?" Lexie said.

"It's okay if she is a little…slower." Claire said. "She could catch up you know. Eventually."

"Hold on just a second." Lexie started.

"No, it's okay." She told her. "I would just probably make arrangements to get her some help."

"My baby is not slow." Lexie said, defensively.

"Okay." Claire said with a scoff.

"Did she just-" Lexie told Mark before standing up, towering over her new enemy.

"Listen, sister. My baby may not walk yet, and she may not be able to make a tower out of Mega Blocks, but damn it, my baby is smart. She is tough and she is strong. I don't care what you think." Lexie went off.

"Lexie, you should stop." Mark said.

"So." She continued. "You should probably just start minding your own damn business."

"Lexie."

"What?" She turned on Mark.

"Let's just go."

"You're right. We are so out of here." Lexie said, taking Haley from Mark. "And by the way, at least my kid doesn't lick the carpet."

Claire turned around to find Branden strangely licking the rug on which they were sitting.

"Branden, stop!" She shrieked.

"What were you going to do? Hit her?" Mark said, as they walked into their apartment.

"No. I just had some good verbal comebacks ready. She was attacking my kid." Lexie said. "She isn't challenged in any way. She is a smart kid."

"She's the smartest. Just like her mom." He told her.

"I love you." Lexie said, kissing him.

"I love you." He said back. "So playgroup next week?"

"Shut up." Lexie said. "We are never going back."

**Thank you for reading. Make me happy and review. You guys are the greatest and lastly Happy Grey's Day! I hope you all enjoy the new episode. Xoxo **


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys! So it's official. Jackson called it quits. I almost thought we wouldn't see the day. I am pretty freaking happy. Anyway here is the next chapter and once again, thank you for all your kind words. **

**Disclaimer:**** Once again, nothing is mine. All rights go to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.**

"Ugh, you should have seen her, Mer. All blonde and leggy and absolutely conceited. She just kept talking down about Haley, like her kid was friggin' Einstien." Lexie ranted, as she sat on a stool in Meredith's kitchen. "Did I mention that she was blonde and leggy?"

"Yeah, Lexie. You already covered that. What you haven't covered is what you think about the house Derek is building. Come on, look at these blueprints and give me your honest opinion." Meredith told her.

"My honest opinion is that having me look at blueprints is about the equivalent of asking me to read Greek. Sorry." Lexie answered, popping a potato chip in her mouth.

"I don't know what I'm looking at either. Derek wants answers and I have no freaking clue what I am looking at." She said.

"Mm-hm."

"Hey there, ladies." Derek said walking into the kitchen. "So have you had a chance to look it over? What do you think? Is the bedroom okay, because we can go with a smaller bathroom if you want."

"It's…great. Really…great." Meredith said with a huge, cheesy grin plastered on her face.

"That's why I love her." Derek said to Lexie as he kissed Meredith on the cheek, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and walked back out.

"You are such a dirty liar." Lexie said, in fake shock.

"Shut up." Meredith responded. "It'll be great. I trust him and he knows me so I am pretty sure that I will love whatever he builds."

"What if it's his metal trailer again?" Lexie asked.

"Then I will learn to love trout." Meredith said with a smile. "Compromise. It's what all great marriages are based on."

"Is it now?" Lexie said.

"You'll learn." Meredith said, following Derek out to the living room.

The next day at the hospital, Lexie found herself partnered with Cristina, a hell she hadn't suffered for quite a while. The upside was that after being Cristina's intern, she knew what made her happy and what made her snap. She grabbed her favorite coffee from the cart in the lobby and made sure she had reviewed any cases that were or could possibly be cardio.

"Dr. Yang. I'm with you today." Lexie said, handing her the mocha latte.

"Three. Sucking up already, huh?" Cristina said. "Never mind let's go."

Cristina led Lexie to room 2485.

"Grey, present." She ordered, stepping back and sipping her coffee.

"Uh, Brian Conrad, age twenty-seven, was admitted after experiencing what the emergency physician diagnosed as a myocardial ischemia." Lexie said.

"How would you diagnose?" Cristina asked.

"I ordered an EKG, cardiac CT, and a stress test." She said.

"Good work." Cristina answered. "Also, order a tox screen, just in case. I want to be sure this isn't something he is doing to himself."

Before Lexie knew it, it was lunch. She walked into the cafeteria with her salad and bottled water and immediately sat with Meredith and Alex.

"You don't know that." Meredith said defensively.

"What's going on?" Lexie asked as she scooted up in her chair.

"Girl was admitted today for a premature labor." Alex explained. "She comes in with her husband and husband's best friend."

"Weird." Lexie said.

"See?" Alex pointed. "That's what I said. I am telling you, chick's having her husband's best friend's baby."

"You don't know that!" Meredith yelled again.

"Why else would he be there?" Alex yelled back.

"Because he cares. She said they were all close friends." Meredith shot.

"Derek cared." Lexie interrupted.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Derek cared and he was Mark's best friend, but I didn't have him in the room when Haley was born. Why? Because it's inappropriate."

"Thank you." Alex said.

"What is going on?" Cristina asked sitting down.

"Oh, a woman is having her baby with her husband and his best friend." Lexie explained.

"Oh…" Cristina paused. "She is so having his best friend's baby."

"Yep." Alex said, as Meredith rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

After lunch, Lexie found Cristina sitting in the skills lab, reading over multiple sheets of paper. She was almost afraid to say anything as to disturb her and unveil the wrath of Cristina.

"Dr. Yang?" She asked quietly. "Mr. Conrad's tox screen came back negative. He's clean."

"Yeah, I know. I booked the OR and Teddy is on her way up." Cristina said. "I'll meet you in OR 2. Go ahead and scrub in."

"Okay." Lexie said. "Meet you in OR 2."

It was a long, dreadful surgery, but Lexie left feeling more on top of her game than ever and she was loving everything about it. The one thing she loved more than anything when it came down to the end of the night was getting to go home and see her man and her baby. She walked into her apartment and found it dark and quiet. Slowly, she hung her bag by the door and kicked her shoes off as she walked through the living room to the bedroom.

"Hey, you're still up." She said, happily laying next to Mark on the bed, who was busily flipping through channels on the television.

"Of course. I didn't want to miss you." Mark said, kissing her.

"Don't." She said, pulling away. "I'm all gross, I have been in surgery all day. We fixed this guy's heart and it was amazing. I am loving Cardio." She said, leaning back on the pillows.

"Okay, wait a minute. What does your love for Cardio have to do with me not being able to kiss you." Mark stated.

"I just want to get cleaned up, that's all." Lexie said, making her way to the bathroom.

"Hey, get back here." Mark said, as Lexie shook her head "no". "Fine. Do you want some company."

"No." Lexie yelled, sounding like she was twelve years old.

Lexie let the hot water wash away all the stress of the day's events. She finally felt like she had it all on balance. She had gone to work, she participated in a surgery and now she was home and spending time with her husband while her child slept peacefully in the next room. She wanted so badly to hear Haley laugh, but she wasn't going to be selfish and wake her up when she had just fallen asleep. She threw her clothes on and quickly towel dried her hair.

"You have got to be kidding me." Mark said, as Lexie walked out of their bathroom.

"What?" Lexie said, grinning.

"Can't you ever wear your own clothes?" He said, pulling her down to where he was.

"Yours are just so much more comfortable." Lexie said with a smirk.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The pair kissed passionately and deep, slowly getting carried away. Hands began to roam over exposed skin and moans started to escaped from slightly open lips.

"Wait, wait, wait." Lexie said.

"What?" Mark said. "What's wrong?"

"We don't have one."

"Have one what?" He asked her, clearly confused.

"A condom." She said, simply. "We don't have a condom."

"So what?" He said, continuing to kiss her. "Let's just risk it."

Lexie pushed Mark away, before sitting up and pulling her shirt down to cover her exposed abdomen.

"Let's risk it?" Lexie asked. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Mark replied.

"We cannot risk it." She tried explaining. "I cannot risk getting pregnant right now."

"Why? I thought you always wanted a big family."

"Mark, we just transitioned into taking care of one baby. Two would just be a little much right now." Lexie said.

"We can make it work." Mark said, pulling her back to him.

"Mark, stop!" She pulled back. "What part of 'I can't risk this' are you not understanding?"

"The part where you don't want to have my baby." Mark said.

"I had your baby." Lexie said, defensively. "We're not ready for number two yet."

"Fine." Mark said, defeated. "It's your decision. I'm going to go sleep on the couch."

"Mark."

"No. Just, don't." Mark said, walking out of the room they shared.

Lexie sighed and flopped down on the bed defeated. Why did everything always have to be on way or the other with Mark. Meredith was just telling her about compromise this morning and she thought that was what she was doing. Mark wanted more kids and Lexie was still getting used to having Haley around. There was no way she was ready, and she knew it. She just closed her eyes and hoped that maybe, eventually Mark would understand it.

**I hope you all enjoyed and I hope this chapter was up to snuff. Remember, please read and review. I love your feedback. Keep reading. xoxo**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! This update didn't take long at all. I was pretty stoked to hear that so many of you liked where I took the story. I want to thank Ankaz123. She told me "You should be really proud of what you've written." It made my day. Thank you so much!**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing, if I did, Jackson wouldn't have been an issue in the first place.**

It had been a long night of silence for Lexie. Mark slept on the couch all night and was in the shower when she got up with Haley and began making breakfast. She knew this fight was not going to blow over easily. Mark had always made it clear that he wanted a big family and Lexie had always been hesitant to say the least. What she wanted Mark to know was that it had nothing to do with Mark and everything to do with the fact that she still wanted things she hadn't gotten to experience, like her career. Mark walked through the living room and into the kitchen where he started rummaging through the refrigerator. Haley sat in her high chair and Lexie sat at the bar next to her.

"I made breakfast." Lexie said lamely.

Mark silently grabbed a bottle of water, walked over to Haley and kissed her on top of her head before walking to the front door.

"Are you seriously not going to talk to me?" Lexie tried again. "Mark, come on."

Ignoring her, Mark walked out the door without as much as a grunt of acknowledgement. Lexie sighed, pushing the food she was feeding Haley away from her and closing her eyes.

"I don't know how I'm gonna get out of this one, baby girl." Lexie said as Haley just cooed. "I'm sorry I am always screwing things up. I wish I could just get it right for once."

At that Haley giggled, causing Lexie to smile. She loved how Haley could turn her whole mood around just with one smile or one laugh.

"You're right. I already got it right. I got you, didn't I?" Lexie said, wiping her baby's mouth. "Yeah, I did."

"There he is." Derek greeted Mark on the catwalk. "Hey, I need you to take a look at these blueprints for me. I left them with Meredith, but she gave me no feedback. I'm sure she just has no idea what to suggest." Derek paused. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, man." Mark responded. "I can take a look at the blueprints later."

"You look like someone just ran over your puppy and you're less talkative than usual." Derek pressed. "Come on, you can tell me."

The duo walked into Derek's office. "I had a fight with Lexie." Mark said, sitting in the chair in front of Derek's desk.

"Ah, and the truth comes out." Derek laughed. "What did you do this time?"

Mark sighed. "We were going at it last night. It was pretty hot and heavy and when she noticed we didn't have any protection I suggested we just take a chance."

"Oh, Mark." Derek said, shaking his head.

"What?"

"She's not ready for that." Derek pointed out.

"We already have a baby, it's not like we don't know how to be parents." Mark said.

"Exactly. There." Derek said. "The beginning of that sentence. 'We already have a baby.' To Lexie, having another baby is a huge deal, just like it was the first time. She is having doubts, just like the first time. She is scared, just like the first time. Cut her some slack."

"I'm an asshole." Mark said, rubbing his temples. It had never occurred to him to think of it the other way around. "I didn't think that she would be afraid." 

"You have to think of what you are asking her to give up." Derek said. "She just got back to work, Mark. She is finding some normalcy and balance. Once she figures it all out, the rest will fall in place."

"You're right." Mark said. "Damn it. I hate it when you're right."

"Really? 'Cause I kind of like it." Derek leaned back in his chair with a smile.

Mark walked into his apartment that night, regretting everything he said to Lexie the night before. He knew he made her feel bad and whether she knew it or not that was never his intention. He felt as if he was losing something and at this point, he wasn't ready, willing, or able to lose anything else. He looked around and found the place empty and quiet. He opened the door to Haley's room, finding her fast asleep, clutching a small stuffed bear. He smiled to himself and headed to the master bedroom where he heard the tv playing.

"Hey." Mark said, kicking his shoes off.

"How was work?"

"Oh, you know. Same old stuff." Mark said, laying next to her and sighing.

"So you're talking to me now?" Lexie said, still clearly upset.

"I'm sorry I was such an asshole. I wanted another baby. I got tunnel-visioned and all I wanted was another kid." He told her.

"I'm not ready." Lexie said, on the verge of tears.

"I know." He said, caressing her face. "I get it, babe. Believe me, I do. It just didn't occur to me how hard it was the first time around. I don't expect you to jump into it right away."

"Thank you." She said, smiling.

"But can we talk about again one day?" He asked her, giving her that smile that made her heart melt.

"Of course we can." Lexie said, kissing him. "I promise."

"Good."

"But just because we aren't having another baby right now, doesn't mean we can't practice." She said, seductively pulling a box of condoms from the bedside drawer.

"Are you serious?" He asked her.

"Not often, but just then, yeah, I had some serious going." Lexie said, tossing him the box. "So what do you say?"

A couple hours later, Lexie and Mark laid together after making love. They felt they were finally able to be together and not worry about what the other one was thinking or trying to figure out. Lexie rested her head on Mark's chest and slowly traced patterns with her fingers. The silence was soothing. All that could be heard was the light breathing that accompanied the rise and fall of both their chests. Everything was peaceful, calm, and perfect. Then Haley was heard on the baby monitor.

Lexie giggled. "You want me to go?"

"No. I got it this time." Mark said, pulling some pants on and walking to his daughter's room.

"Hey there, troublemaker." He said, turning the light on. "What's the matter, huh?"

He picked Haley up and walked over to the window. He learned that when she fussed during the night, she found standing by the window calmed her. There was something about the stillness and the moonlight that just seemed to soothe her.

"I want to tell you something." He said, looking down at the small child resting against his chest. "No matter what. I want you to tell me things, okay? I want you to always feel like you can tell me what's bothering you, big or small. I will always love you and I will always protect you. I want you to know this and remember this. I promise, okay?"

He just stood there for a while, enjoying the calm before placing his daughter back in her bed, carefully covering her with a blanket and heading back to his own bed. Lexie was rolled over on her stomach fast asleep and Mark couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He crawled into the bed next to her and lightly stroked her hair.

"I don't think you quite understand how much I love you. You're my family now, Lexie. You and our little girl. Don't you ever forget that." He lightly kissed her on the forehead and turned the bedside lamp off. He was content with things. They were a family, regardless of any stupid fights. Families stuck together, and he wasn't going anywhere.

**I know this chapter was slightly shorter, but I hope you are happy with it all the same. Again thank you for reading and your reviews mean the world to me. Peace and Love. xoxo**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey everybody…Thanks for all the love. It really makes a girl feel good. I just bought the new Kelly Clarkson album, **_**Stronger, **_**and it is awesome. Just thought I would share. Anyway, less about me and more about our favorite couple. I kinda had this crazy idea and I hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer:**** Everything belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.**

"Wait, what?" Lexie asked, trying to make sure she was hearing correctly.

"You heard me." Mark said, packing a duffel bag. "Meredith and Derek are going to keep Haley for the weekend while you and I take a trip."

"Yes, but camping? Seriously?" Lexie was lost.

"Yes. Adventure and romance. It's exactly what we need to get back on track." Mark assured her.

"Mark, we are back on track and we didn't need dirt and bugs to get there." Lexie said, turning her nose up at the idea of spending an extended period of time in the wilderness.

"Look, we are going. Now pack a bag, just the essentials and I am going to go finish loading the car." Mark ordered. "Move."

Lexie flopped back on the bed with a groan. After a minute, she crawled across the bed and grabbed her phone, quickly dialing Meredith's number.

"What's up, Lexie?" Meredith answered.

"Quick, I need you to fake a family emergency so that I have to come to your side immediately." She begged.

"What are you talking about?" Meredith asked.

"Mark is taking me camping, Meredith." She explained. "I cannot spend a weekend outdoors, okay? I just won't make it."

"It will be okay. Addison lasted almost a year with Derek in his trailer. If she could pull that off, you can do a weekend in a tent." Meredith said, laughing as she remembered the fights over showers and trout that Derek had told her about.

"So you're not going to help me get out of this?" Lexie said, trying to make it obvious that Meredith had violated some kind of deep, spiritual sister code.

"No, I am not, but I am very excited to get to spend a weekend with my niece." Meredith said with a chuckle.

"Ugh!" Lexie groaned, hanging up the phone.

She slowly grabbed a bag and packed clothes as well as shampoo, soap, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. She figured regardless of where she was going, she would at least be clean. Mark walked back in the front door with an extremely chipper attitude.

"Come on, Little Grey." He said, taking her bag from her. "The great outdoors awaits. You will love it, I promise. Let's go!" He walked out the door, Lexie following behind.

"Yeah, yay." Lexie said, showing no emotion.

The couple hit the road and within an hour looked like they were in the middle of nowhere and heading into nothing fast.

"Do you even know where we are?"

"Trust me, Lex." Mark said, squeezing her hand. "This is spontaneity at its best."

"Oh, god." She muttered under her breath.

"What?" Mark laughed.

"Just fate has never really been kind to any of us."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Meredith drowned, Derek got shot, George died, and Izzie got cancer." She explained.

"Lexie, none of that happened to us." Mark said, pulling her hand up to kiss it.

"Exactly." Lexie pointed out. "We haven't gotten ours yet. We could take off into the woods and be eaten by bears, never to be heard from again."

"You're so cute when you're paranoid." Mark chuckled.

"Shut up." She said.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at a large stretch of land overlooking a large lake. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. The sun reflecting off the water and the trees clashing with the cloudy sky, reminded Lexie off a painting in a museum. It only took about an hour for Mark to unload and put up a large tent. He started a fire, and made his way over to the SUV where Lexie was still sitting inside.

"What are you doing?" he asked, tapping on the window.

"Checking on Haley." She said pointing to her cell phone which was connected to a car charger. "Meredith hasn't called since we left and I am starting to get a little worried. What if something is wrong?"

"Get out of the car." He ordered.

"Excuse me?" She said, slightly shocked by the tone of his voice.

"You are never going to be able to let yourself relax if you are constantly tied to the phone. Haley is fine and once you start enjoying yourself, you'll stop worrying." Mark said, walking her over to a chair he had set up next to the fire.

Mark had packed a cooler with everything they needed to make sandwiches, since cooking would be much more difficult. The couple ate and talked about just about anything and everything under the sun. From politics to medicine to Justin Bieber and ridiculousness he had caused. After a while, Lexie began to grow mor comfortable being outside. Mark was putting the food away for the night when he heard Lexie shriek like a little girl. He quickly ran back to the site and found Lexie with an irritated look.

"What happened?" He said, worried.

"Mosquito bit me." Lexie said, pointing to her arm.

"Oh." He said, going back to what he was doing when Lexie shrieked again, louder.

"That was a big one." She said when Mark looked at her with a cheesy grin.

"I'm going in the tent." She told him unzipping the large tent and quickly slipping inside.

There was something about watching Lexie with nature that entertained her. Two worlds colliding was saying the very least, but she was trying and that was all Mark could ask for and he loved her for it. The night went relatively smoothly. Mark only woke twice to convince a terrified that the rustling outside was not a bear and was in fact the wind. Morning came a little earlier than Lexie was used to, but she got up hoping that things would go well.

"Good morning, sunshine." Mark said when Lexie came out of the tent, finding Mark with two cups of coffee.

"When did you go get coffee?" Lexie asked, taking the cup he offered her.

"I went a little earlier. You were still asleep."

"You left me here?" Lexie said, eyes widened. "What if a bear-"

"Oh, for God's sake, Lexie. There are no bears here." Mark said, rolling his eyes. "So are you ready for some fun?"

"What kind of fun?" She inquired.

"I found a gorgeous hiking trail, about a mile back."

"Hiking?" She couldn't help but look at him like he had lost his mind. "Okay." She said with false enthusiasm.

Lexie and Mark drove back to the trail Mark had found while exploring. Lexie was nervous. She played sports growing up but she was never the exploring type. When it came to that sort of thing, it was better left separate from her. They began walking and Mark was incredibly sweet. He held her hand, encouraged her, and even let her piggy back when she started feeling a little winded. It had been about an hour and Lexie felt like they had been climbing forever, she could feel it in her calves.

"Mark, how much further." She asked stopping for a drink of water.

"We're going up there."

Lexie choked on her water. "That's like another two miles. You are joking right?"

"Nah. Come on, you can do it." He encouraged. "Trust me, Lex. The view is worth it."

After what felt like a million miles of rough terrain, Mark grabbed Lexie's hand.

"How are we doing back there?" He asked.

"Did you ever see that movie _Everest_?" She cracked.

"What?" Mark responded.

"Nothing." She said as Mark pulled her up to where he was standing. "Oh, my."

"I told you this view was worth it." He said proud of himself.

"I am never going home again." Lexie said, taking in the breathtaking view in front of her. "This is gorgeous."

"Hey." Mark said.

"Yeah?" Lexie said, turning to face him.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a kiss.

"I want you to know that while I do want more kids, that doesn't mean that I consider you and Haley to be any less of a family to me. You guys are it." Mark said.

"Shhh." She replied, kissing him again.

"I know you weren't thrilled with this weekend, but I am glad you tried for me." Mark said with a smile.

"Anytime."

"What do you say we go grab that kid of ours and spend what's left of it with her at home?" Mark asked.

"Just one more minute." Lexie said, snuggling up closer to him.

"Hey, home so soon?" Derek said, letting Mark and Lexie inside.

"Well we couldn't stay away from this little bundle of joy for too long." Mark said, gesturing to Lexie who was already on the living room floor playing with Haley.

"Where's Meredith?" Lexie asked, looking up.

"She's in the bath…de-stressing. She had a little bit of a rough day." Derek explained.

"Why? What happened?" Lexie asked, concerned for her sister.

"Oh, nothing. The bag boy at the supermarket gave us paper instead of plastic." Derek said.

"Huh?" Mark responded, confused.

"I know, it's weird. Every little thing sets her off when it's this time of the month."

"Derek!" They all heard Meredith shriek from upstairs.

"I have to run. It was good to see you guys. Drive safe." Derek said, running upstairs.

One the drive home Mark looked in the rearview mirror at his sleeping daughter and next to him at his new wife.

"So what do you think? Chinese and _Scarface?_" Mark asked.

"Ugh! No. Pizza and _Pretty Woman." _She said, causing Mark to cringe.

"Fine. I'll meet you halfway. Thai and _Mr. & Mrs. Smith._" He asked.

"Deal." She said definitively.

She felt like they had finally got the hang of this compromise thing everyone was talking about. However, she was pretty sure when it came to marriage, the ones who were talking about compromise were not just talking about Sunday night dinner plans.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing. Thank you so much for your input and I cannot wait to post the next chapter. Keep reading. Peace and Love xoxo**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey everyone! I am soooo sorry it had taken this long to get an update posted. Work has been crazy. With the holidays, everyone seems to be slightly more stressed. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter at least as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks again, for all your support. **

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing is mine, all the work of the very talented Ms. Shonda Rhimes. **

The day was just about over for Lexie, who was busily charting in an on-call room. She knew it wasn't ideal, but it was the only place she was able to find some peace and quiet. Finally, she had felt like she achieved some kind of balance. Lexie had spent time with Haley that morning, took part in two craniotomies and one bowel resection, and now she was finishing her notes so she and Mark could go home. She closed one chart and moved to the next when Jackson burst through the door like a force of nature.

"Damn it!" He cursed, punching the wall, before turning and noticing Lexie sitting in the corner. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"No worries." She answered with a small smile. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He replied.

"You don't look fine." Lexie stated.

"Well I am!" Jackson shot back.

"Okay." Lexie said, looking down.

"She doesn't want to take the next step with me?" Jackson said slowly.

"April?"

"I asked her to move in with me. You know, get out of Meredith's and get our own place." He explained. "She shot me down."

"I'm so sorry, Jackson." Lexie said as Jackson sat on the bed next to her. "I know how much that must hurt."

"Why doesn't she want to move forward with me? I thought everything was going great." He said, clearly distraught.

"Maybe it's just too soon for her. It doesn't mean she doesn't care about you." She consoled.

"She doesn't."

"Of course she does. Don't be ridiculous." She told him.

"She ended things, Lexie." He said.

"Oh."

"Yeah. I wanted to take the next step and she kicked me to the curb." Jackson continued.

"Jackson, I-" Lexie started.

"Lexie, I don't know what to do. I really think she was the one." He said, on the verge of tears.

"Jackson." She pulled him into a hug. "Don't do this to yourself. She will come around. You'll see."

"She's all I've got. Charles is gone, Reed is gone. April's all I've got." He lightly cried on Lexie's shoulder.

"You are not alone." She soothed. "For what it's worth, I'm here."

The pair continued to hold each other, Lexie felt sorry for Jackson. He was a genuinely good guy. He didn't deserve this. She knew how much he cared about April and it killed her to see him in such pain over it. She wished she could somehow make it all go away for him, but she knew that was impossible. After twenty minutes of silent comforting, Lexie walked Jackson out to the hall. She lightly stroked his face.

"Go home." She said. "Get some sleep. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"Thanks, Grey." He said, kissing her on the cheek. "You're the best."

"And don't you forget it." She said with a laugh.

With that, she made her way to the residents' lounge, gathered her things and paged Mark to meet her in the lobby. The pair headed home in tense, awkward silence and Lexie knew, without asking, that Mark must have had a difficult day. Anytime Mark had a surgery that was rough, or a patient he lost, or even a intern who was less than cooperative, he would shut himself off, so Lexie made it a habit not to press. After picking Haley up from Callie's and walking across the hall to their own apartment, Lexie noticed that it wasn't that Mark was upset, he was upset with her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, receiving no response. "Mark, come on."

"Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about what?" Silence again. "Okay, are you going to tell me what this is about or am I supposed to pretend like I know?" She pressed.

"Are you kidding me?" He said, placing Haley in her playpen and heading to their bedroom, with Lexie close behind. "I saw the way he looked at you."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, lost.

"Avery."

"Jackson?" She clarified. "You saw me with Jackson?"

"Is there another Avery I don't know about?" He shot back.

"That was nothing." Lexie laughed. "I was just talking to him. April broke up with him and he needed a friend."

"I'm sure he does." He said, smugly.

"Mark." She said with anger. "I didn't sleep with him, if that's what you're implying."

"No." Mark said, holding up a hand. "I am not accusing you of anything. What I am saying is I don't trust him."

"What did he do to you?" She asked him.

"Look, I know guys like him. Cocky, arrogant, trust me, all he wants is to get in your pants right now." Mark said.

"Do not judge him." Lexie defended. "Besides, when you say 'guys like him' don't you really mean guys like you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, slightly offended.

"We are both more than aware of your reputation when I started my internship." She explained. "Does the Nurses United Against Mark Sloan ring any bells?"

"That was a different man." Mark said. "That's not me, anymore."

"I know." Lexie said, taking his hand. "I know you are not that guy, because I trust you. I trust you with my life and with my heart."

Mark smiled at her.

"But Mark, for this to work the way we want it to, you have to trust me too." Lexie said. "You have to trust that I love you more than anything and that I am not going to just toss that down the drain, okay?"

"Okay." Mark said, pulling her hand to his lips and placing a light kiss on the top of her palm.

"Okay." She said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"I just lose it when guys look at you like that." Mark said.

"Like what?"

"Like they want you." He said. "You are mine and I want to be sure that everyone knows they don't stand a chance."

"They don't stand a chance." Lexie said. "Besides, you gave me Haley. Jackson couldn't give me her and neither can anyone else for that matter. You are it."

"Good." He said with a grin. "So why did Kepner dump him again?"

"She didn't want to move in with him."

"They already live together with Meredith." Mark said, confused.

"He wanted to get their own place and I guess she thought they were moving too fast." She explained.

"Isn't she still a virgin?" He said.

"Mark!" She sighed in exasperation.

"What?" He asked. "Okay, nevermind."

"He's just so hurt, you know." Lexie said. "You can tell he really misses her.

"Well, just make sure he keeps his hands to himself from now on, okay?"

Lexie rolled her eyes. "I'm taking a shower. I'll only be a few minutes."

"Great." Mark answered. "I'll order some food."

Lexie stood in the shower and let the hot water wash over her. She had only meant to jump in and have a quick rinse which then turned into twenty minutes of standing in the hot water and steam. She was brought back to reality when she heard a banging on the bathroom door. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door. From what she could see everything was as she left it, except for Mark, who had a look of pure terror on his face.

"What?" Lexie asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Haley's gone."

**I know, I know. Please don't yell at me. I had been exploring this part of the story for a while but wasn't sure I wanted to do it. I think this is the best choice for now. Please read and review and let me know what you think. Peace and Love. Happy Holidays! X0X0**


	30. Chapter 30

**Feels good to be back in the swing of things. I loved everyone's reactions to the last chapter. Jime-GA-Lover, I loved your theory on Jackson taking her. I can honestly say that never crossed my mind till you said it. But fear not, I know exactly where Haley is. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this entry. Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer:**** Again, nothing is mine.**

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Lexie asked in disbelief, she ran over to the playpen where her daughter was playing only minutes ago. "She was right here!"

"I know." Mark explained. "The delivery guy rang for the food so I went downstairs to get it and when I came back, it was empty."

"What?" Lexie said. "You left her?"

"It was only a second." Mark told her. "I went to get the food and I closed the door behind me."

"Damn it, Mark. How many times have I told you, you cannot leave her alone, even for a second, otherwise, something like this could happen!" She started to yell.

"Are you seriously blaming me right now?" Mark asked in confusion.

"If you would have stayed here, she wouldn't be missing!" Lexie told him while throwing everything off the kitchen counter.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm looking for the phone. What do you think I'm doing?" She said, panicked.

"I already called. They are sending a unit over right now." He said, trying to pull her to him.

"I'm going to go get dressed." Lexie said, pulling away and letting a few tears slip on her way to the bathroom.

As Lexie exited the bedroom, Mark opened the door, letting in two identically dressed members of the Seattle Police Department.

"Mr. Sloan. I'm Officer Gilmore and this is my partner Officer Davis. We got a call about a break in." the taller of the two men stated.

"I went downstairs to get some food I had ordered from the delivery guy and when I came back, the door was open and my daughter was gone." Mark said.

"How old is the child?" Davis asked, while scribbling on his notepad.

"She'll be one next month." Lexie said.

"Do you have a description of the child?" Gilmore asked, more to Mark than Lexie.

"Here." Lexie said, handing a photo to the officer. "It was taken a couple months ago, but she still looks the same. Her features haven't changed."

"Alright." Officer Gilmore began to speak. "We're going to call the precinct and put out an APB. If your baby is still in the area, we have a chance at finding her tonight."

"Okay. Thank you so much." Lexie said.

"You guys just try and relax, we will call you if we find anything."

With that, the officers gave the couple a card with their number and left with a determined attitude. Lexie sighed and sunk into a seated position on the couch covering her face with her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her worst fear had come to life and there was absolutely nothing she could do but sit and wait, her baby's fate resting in someone else's hands.

"Lex-"

"No." She cut Mark off. "I don't want to talk. I don't want to move. I don't want to breathe until she is back."

"I'm scared too." Mark said, sitting next to her. "They'll find her. They'll find her and they'll bring her back."

"Will they?" Lexie said, standing up and looking down at the broken man before her. "Do you have any idea how big Seattle is?"

"Lexie, come on."

"No, Mark, you come on." She continued. "I don't even know if she's scared, or hurt, or hungry, or cold. I am supposed to protect her! We were supposed to protect her! You were supposed to be there to keep her safe! Where were you?" Lexie began to break down as Mark tried pulling her close to him.

"Where were you?" She said, hitting his chest with her fists. "You left her and now she's gone. Where is my baby?"

"Shhhh" Mark said, holding her close.

It took about an hour of sobbing before Lexie finally fell asleep. The thought couldn't even cross Mark's mind. How could he sleep with his baby out there somewhere without him? He couldn't help but blame himself. Lexie blamed him and he knew that on some level, she was right. He would be blaming her if the tables were turned. If he had just stayed where he was, there would have been no way for someone to come in and take their child.

Meanwhile, Officer Davis and Officer Gilmore were driving past Seattle Grace Mercy West, following any possible lead they had.

"Well, that was a bust." Gilmore said.

"Yeah, she couldn't have gotten far. I mean, even with a car, you can't get anywhere in the city without taking the ferryboat first and we have units ready to search them when they dock." Davis answered.

"Did you see those parents?" Gilmore stated. "Man, they looked devastated."

"Yeah."

The radio chirped. "Dispatch unit 1301, come in."

"This is 1301, go ahead." Davis answered.

"We just received a disturbance call from the downtown bus station. Woman, mid-thirties, caused a scene when the owner caught her loitering with her baby. The caller said she was kind of out of it." The voice answered.

"All right, thank you. We will head over." Davis said.

Officer Gilmore made a swift U-turn and flipped his siren on.

"You don't think…" He started.

"What?"

"Nothing. Nevermind." Gilmore said with a shake of his head.

They arrived at the bus station to find a woman pacing up and down the sidewalk, holding a baby in her arms.

"I'm not going back! She needs me. I can't go back!" The woman screamed.

"Ma'am?" Officer Davis tried.

"No." The woman continued. "You won't send me back. I won't go!"

"Listen. We just want to talk. Why don't you let my partner take your baby inside where it's warm and we can talk about what's going on, okay?" He said, gently.

"She needs me."

"I know she does." He told her. "But my partner can handle it for just a couple of minutes okay?"

"Okay." She whispered, slowly handing the baby to Davis' partner.

He immediately took her inside the building while his partner calmed the woman, getting her name and other information from her.

"What's wrong with her?" The owner asked.

"Not quite sure." Gilmore answered. "Did she have a diaper bag with her?"

"What?"

"A diaper bag. This little one needs to be changed." He said pinching her cheek, lightly.

"No." The owner responded. "Just the baby."

The wheels in his head began to click and with a sigh he grabbed the photo that Lexie Grey had given him earlier that night.

"I need you to be straight with me. I can't help you or your baby unless your honest with me." Davis told the woman sternly.

"Davis!" Gilmore shouted at him.

"Yeah?"

"Cuff her and call the Sloans. I think we just found their kid."

Mark had just dozed off when the phone jerked him out of his almost peaceful state. He tried not to wake Lexie as he heard her groan when he moved from under her.

"Sloan." He answered.

"This is Officer Davis."

"Anything?" Mark asked, terrified and hopeful all at the same time.

"We have her. We are bringing her to you." He stated.

"Oh, my God. Is she all right?"

"She's a little cold, but she is okay."

"Thank you so much." Mark told them.

It took two seconds after they arrived for Lexie to grab Haley and collapse to the floor, sobbing while she hugged her tightly. Mark followed suit, joining them and hugging them both tightly.

"Where was she?" Lexie asked, after she had composed herself.

"The downtown bus station." Davis explained. "Woman's name is Becca Haynes. She ran from the psych ward at Seattle Presbyterian two days ago. She went a little crazy when her baby girl died. She was about to be one."

"But she is okay?" She asked.

"Haley is perfect, not a scratch on her." Gilmore added. "And Ms. Haynes is on her way back to Seattle Pres."

"Great. Thank you." Mark said, with a smile.

"Thank you." Lexie said, through her tears.

The couple spent the rest of the night just holding each other closely. No one wanted to be the first to let go. Haley giggled and Lexie couldn't help but smile.

"Thank God you're okay." She said, kissing her cheeks. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." Mark answered.

"Yeah." Lexie responded.

**I didn't want to drag the kidnapping out since it isn't really a principal part of the story and I really didn't want the kidnapper to be anyone we know, because I don't want to villianize any of the characters I love. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Please read and review. Love you all! X0X0**


	31. Chapter 31

**First off, I want to say that I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update. Work has been completely insane for Christmas. Also, I just want to thank everyone for the amazing support that you have given this story. You are literally the reason I write this.**

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me. All rights go to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.**

It had been one week since the colossal incident that separated Lexie and Haley for an entire night. Things had seemed to be back to normal, or at least as normal as things had been around them. Lexie was laying on her bed with Haley laying in her lap, playing with a stuffed animal. She was wrapped up in the Lifetime movie she was watching when Mark walked through the front door.

"Lex." She heard him call.

"In here." She responded.

"Hey. You would not believe the day I had-" Mark began.

"Shhh…" Lexie cut him off, pointing at the tv. "Oh, by the way, Derek called. He wanted to see if you wanted to go to Joe's and grab some drinks. I told him you were still at work, but you can go if you want to."

"No. I'm exhausted." He said laying next to her, and stroking Haley's cheek. "Besides, I'd rather be here with my girls anyway. Isn't that right, Hales? Hmm? Yeah."

Lexie laughed lightly.

"So what are we watching?" Mark asked.

"This woman is on a mission to find the truth about who her husband really is." Lexie answered, never taking her eyes from the screen.

"Ah, I see." He said to her.

"Do you now?" Lexie looked at him.

"No." He said with a laugh, taking Haley from her lap.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's play 'Spin The Baby'"

"Mark, I just got her to calm down. I want her to sleep tonight." Lexie protested.

"She will." He said spinning her quickly.

"Mark." Lexie said, warning. "She'll get sick."

"You worry too much." He said, holding her so she was facing Lexie. "Tell Mommy to chill out. You are fine, aren't you, punkin'?"

Lexie rolled her eyes and sat back, focusing back on the movie playing out before her. Mark sighed and sat next to Lexie, Haley resting her head on his shoulder as he rubbed circles on her back. Lexie found herself staring at them, she slowly rested her head on the headboard and smiled at them.

"What?" Mark asked, noticing her expression.

"Nothing." Lexie said, shaking her head. "You're just really good with her. It's kind of nice to watch."

"Well, it's easy with her." Mark said, holding Haley in front of him and kissing her on the cheek, causing a giggle to escape. "I would take a million moments like this."

"I know what you mean." Lexie responded. "There are times that I find myself watching her sleep and I just…I wish I could freeze that moment. Capture it and just stay there forever, you know?"

"Yeah. I get it."

Lexie reached over, grabbed the remote and shut the tv off.

"We should probably try to get her to sleep." Mark stated.

"I bought her a sound soother today, so she won't wake up crying as much." Lexie told him.

"What do you say, little lady? Want to go try it out?" Mark said to his daughter, carrying her to her room.

Lexie pulled her lotion out of the nightstand and began applying it to her body. IA nightly ritual that had made her become all the more predictable. She couldn't help but stare at the wedding bad on her left hand and think about the man and little girl in the next room that she loved more than anything else in the world. She had everything she could ever want and she found herself basking in the moment.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Mark asked, walking back in the room.

"Nothing." She answered, snapping back to reality. "I was just…nothing."

"Okay." He said cautiously.

Mark disappeared into the bathroom and returned moments later shirtless in pajama pants. He slowly crawled into the bed on his respective side and turned the lamp off. Lexie still sat on her side, with the lotion still in her hand.

"I love you." She blurted out.

"I love you, too." Mark said.

"Remember that." She said.

"Why would I forget?"

"I want to tell you something."

"Okay." Mark said, sitting up, prepared to listen and fully take in what she was about to say.

"I think I want to cut back on my time at the hospital." She explained. "I don't want to quit, by any means. I still love medicine. I just feel like I haven't really had enough time to really enjoy being a mom. I miss my daughter all the time and I can't help but wonder sometimes if she misses me too. Please don't hate me."

"Never." Mark said, kissing her on the cheek. "I think that's a great idea. I can cut back on my elective procedures. Give them to Dr. Morris."

"No." Lexie interrupted. "You don't have to cut your time too. I don't want you to miss out."

"I would be missing out if I wasn't here enjoying the precious moments with my family. I want to do this." Mark insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay." She said with a sigh. "I'm going to head in tomorrow morning to talk to the chief."

"Sounds good." Mark said.

After a couple minutes of silence, Mark broke it again.

"So, you want to do it, tonight?"

"What?" Lexie said, laughing out loud.

"Come on. It has been a while since we have had some decent sex. I miss it. I miss you." Mark said with a fake pout.

"Well…"

"Come on, Lexie."

"Fine." Lexie surrendered. "But I'm leaving my shirt on."

"I can live with that." Mark said, rolling on top of her and taking her into a deep kiss.

*TWO HOURS LATER*

Mark and Lexie laid intertwined talking about everything and nothing at all.

"So, I was thinking we should have like a date night." Lexie said, "Go see a movie or something."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." Mark answered. "_Final Destination 5 _just came out."

"Mark." She said, scrunching her nose in disgust.

"What?"

"Those movies are disgusting." She said in protest.

"Lexie, you're a surgeon." Mark said simply.

"So?"

"You're a surgeon and you can't handle a little blood and guts?" He asked, baffled.

"I see it everyday, Mark. I want to see something different when I go to the movies." Lexie said.

"Fine." He stated, defeated.

"You know, I've been thinking." She said, playing with Mark's hand in her own.

"About?"

"Going off birth control." She stated with a smile.

"Really?" Mark asked in surprise.

"Yeah. With the extra time off, I can finally give Haley the time she needs and it made me think that maybe a little brother or sister might not be such a bad idea. Besides, I've always wanted a big family."

Mark kissed her deeply and passionately.

"God, I love you." He said, before kissing her again.

"Really?" She said. "I had no idea."

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a little rough so it was not my best. Reviews make my day so go ahead and make me smile. PS Grey's comes back on the 5****th****! I am super stoked and I hope you all are too. Anyway, until next time, my lovelies! X0X0**


	32. Chapter 32

**I sincerely apologize for the extremely long wait. Life has funny things to throw at you, especially when you have things to be done. I have to say that last week's episode was amazing. Mark carrying Lexie into the hospital was perfect. I cannot wait for the next episode. Until then, here is the next chapter. I hope you all are ready for this. Thanks again for the unconditional support and incredible patience. **

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me. All brilliance goes to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. **

"Mr. Reynolds in 3246 needs Bolus injections twice a day in his IV and Ms. Barker in 3120 gets a little jumpy if she sees people walking by her room, so when you can, close her door." Lexie said, as she signed her charts over to Alex. "Also be sure to watch Mr. Grant in 3052. He's been sneaking down the hall to see Mrs. Laramie and her husband is starting to get annoyed."

"I got it, Grey." Alex said with his traditional scoff and a roll of his eyes. "Isn't Sloan wondering where you are?"

"He has the night off." She said, handing the last chart over. "I'm leaving now, I promise. If you have any problems, don't hesitate to call, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get out of here." He replied with a wave of his hand.

Lexie hurried to the residents' locker room where she changed her clothes and tried her best to get the smell of her day off of her. It was a quarter after 9:00 when Lexie finally made her way to the lobby and to the parking lot.

"Are you a doctor?" She heard a voice from behind her ask.

Lexie turned around quickly. "Are you a patient here?"

"I'm looking for a doctor." The young man stated.

"Okay. If you go right through those double doors, a nurse will help you find a doctor." She explained. "I'm actually on my way out."

"I'm looking for a Dr. Sloan." He continued. "Do you know where I might find him?"

"He isn't working today." Lexie replied. "Can I give him a message for you?"

"Yeah." He stated, with a step forward. "You can give him this."

Lexie felt his fist collide with her face and in that instant it was like everything was in slow motion. Like a really bad dream she couldn't seem to wake up from. In a matter of seconds she felt herself hit the ground and the man's foot, kicking her repeatedly in the abdomen. All she could do was close her eyes and pray to whatever God she could think of, that it would end. That he would get tired or bored and walk away. After what felt like an eternity of the same painful blows to her face and body, she noticed he had stopped. Terrified, she continued to lay there as her assailant towered over her.

"You tell Dr. Sloan that he's lucky it wasn't him I found tonight." He told her. "If I see him, he's a dead man, you understand."

After sufficing a small wimper, she heard footsteps and assumed he had left. She couldn't bring herself to get up, she couldn't bring herself to move a finger. All she could do was lay there and hope that she might disappear.

*ONE HOUR LATER*

"Meredith, I told you, Zola is fine." Derek said, into his cell phone as he walked out of the hospital, heading for his car. "A bump on the head does not mean she has a bleed. You should know this, Mer."

"Derek, she hit it hard." Meredith protested.

"I will check when I get home, if it will make you stop."

"I love you." Meredith answered, pleased.

"I love you, too." Derek said, hanging up.

He was almost to his car when he saw Lexie's lifeless body sprawled on the pavement. It was like the wind had been knocked out of him. He dropped his satchel and rushed to her side.

"Oh, God! Lexie!" He nearly shouted, trying to find a pulse. It was there, faint but existant. "Lexie, can you hear me?"

Lexie groaned and lightly began to cough.

"Shhh. Come on, we've got to go get you some help." Derek began to lift her, shocked by what had happened to his little sister-in-law. "It's going to be okay. Do you hear me?"

"Derek?" Lexie managed to choke out softly.

"Yeah, Little Grey." He responded. "It's me."

"I'm- I'm cold." She said, through chattering teeth.

"Shhh. We're getting you help." He said, bursting through the hospital doors. "I need help over here!"

Mark had finished putting the rest of Haley's toys in the bin when he finally sat down. It was going on 10:30 and Lexie was still nowhere to be found. At first, he brushed it off as a simple case of forgetfulness or getting held up at work, but now, as much as he hated to admit it, he was growing worried. He heard the phone rang and he quickly ran to grab it, hoping it wouldn't wake his daughter in the next room.

"Hello?" Mark answered.

"Hey. It's me."

"Meredith?"

"Yeah." She continued. "Is Derek over there? He called and said he was heading home about half an hour ago and he still isn't here."

"No. He hasn't called or come by." Mark paused. "Have you heard from Lexie?"

"Lexie?" Meredith asked, confused.

"Yeah. I'm sure it's nothing, but she is running late and I thought you might have heard something." Mark said.

"No. I'm sorry." She replied.

"Thanks. If I hear from Derek, I'll have him call you." Mark assured her.

"Great. If I see Lexie, I'll have her do the same."

"Thank you so much." He said.

"Goodnight." Meredith said, hanging up.

"I want X-rays, a chest CT, head and abdominal series, and I want an MRI. I need to know if there's internal bleeding." Derek ordered.

"Dr. Shepherd." He heard April say behind him. "Dr. Hunt is on his way down."

"I got this, Kepner." Derek said, continuing to work.

"Derek." Owen said. "Step away. I'll take over."

"I said I have it!" He snapped.

"Shepherd, back up. Now!" Owen ordered, causing Derek to turn to him. "I am going to do everything I can. You should let Meredith know."

Derek nodded and slowly walked to the waiting room. He sighed, rubbing his hands on his face and then dragging them through his hair. He hated doing it, but he knew he had to. He picked up the phone and slowly dialed.

"Hey man, it's me. You should get up here." Derek paused. "It's Lexie."

Twenty minutes later, Meredith and Mark walked through the double doors, both sharing the same look of fear and panic.

"Where is she?" Meredith asked.

"Owen is running some tests." Derek said, taking her into a hug. "Where's Zola?"

"Callie is keeping her and Haley." She answered.

"What the hell happened?" Mark asked, completely lost.

"Nobody knows. I found her in the parking lot and she could barely get a word out. Someone beat the crap out of her." Derek said, trembling on every word.

"Someone hit her?" Mark asked, unbelievably.

"Mark, it was bad." Derek said.

They all stood together when they saw Owen come into the waiting room.

"How is she?" Mark practically jumped.

"She is awake." Owen began to explain. "She has a fractured wrist and a minor concussion. Other than that, it's just bumps and bruises."

"Oh, thank God." Mark said, relieved.

"You can see her." Owen said, gesturing to the hall.

"Hey." Lexie tried with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"Baby, what happened?"

"He just came out of nowhere." She began.

"Who?" Mark asked.

"Your patient." Lexie said. "He told me he was looking for you and I told him I could take a message and he just started hitting me."

"Shhh." Mark said, stroking her hair.

"He said you were lucky he didn't find you." Lexie said, sniffling.

"It should have been."

"Don't say that." Lexie tried.

"No." Mark interrupted. "Look at you. Look at what this creep did to you and you honestly want me to sit here and do nothing?"

"Yes."

"No!" He fired back. " He is not going to get away with this. If he wants to kick my ass, fine, but no one lays a hand on my wife and gets away with it okay?"

"Stop." She said, trying to calm him down. "Come here. I'm not going anywhere and the police will find him. Just promise me you'll stay out of it and let them do their job."

"Fine." He said, hugging her. "I love you, you know that?"

"I always suspected it."

**Well, there you go. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope it was worth the wait. I fought with myself for a while about taking the story this way and I think it will make things a little more interesting. I promise to update soon. Happy Valentine's Day and I hope everyone enjoys Thursday's episode of Grey's! **


	33. Chapter 33

**You guys continue to blow my mind with the unbelievable kind words! To Jime_GA_Lover, thank you so much for always being the first to review my updates and being so sweet and generous by supporting me. You rock! So do you all the rest of you...I love each and every one of you!**

**Disclaimer:**** All rights go to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.**

It had been two days since the incident that caused Lexie's world to turn upside down and it had definately taken it's toll. The police has questioned both her and Mark and were on the lookout for anyone matching the description she had given. Meanwhile, Lexie was doing her best to keep what little bit of sanity she had left. She focused on Haley as much as she could, but even that didn't stop the nightmares and the fear that came with them. Mark groaned lightly and looked at the clock next to the bed. 2:15AM. He wondered where she went as he ran his hand over teh empty spot next to him. He slowly got up and dragged his body to his daughter's room, only to find it empty. This was not like her to disappear, but then again, she hadn't exactly been herself lately. He walked into the living room and noticed the kitchen light on. He quietly walked over and lightly grabbed her wrist.

"Lexie."

Lexie shrieked and collapsed on linoleum.

"Stop!" She cried. "Please."

"Lex." Mark said, crouching next her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, babe. It's just me."

"Mark?"

"Yeah." He answered her. "Are you okay? What's with the muffins?" He asked looking around.

"Just busy work." She stated simply.

"You should come to bed." He told her.

"No." Lexie replied.

"Lexie, you need sleep." Mark said, grabbing her hand. "Come on. It's late."

"Don't touch me!" She jumped, startled.

"What?"

"I said don't touch me." She repeated.

The past two days had been full of arguments like this one and Mark was at a loss of what to do to make her feel better, to make her feel safe, and above all to make her trust him.

"Lexie, you haven't let me touch you for days." Mark said. "Come on, it's just me."

"I just...can't okay?"

"You can't what?" He continued. "Be near me? Touch your husband?"

"Do you think I enjoy this?" Lexie defended. "Do you think I am doing this for kicks? I am scared all the time. Not just sometimes, all of the time, Mark."

"I understand." He told her. "We are going to get through this."

"We?" Lexie said, confused. "There is no 'we' here. You didn't get beat up. You didn't have your personal boundaries violated. I did! I did! It was me!"

Mark's heart broke as he watched the woman he loved fall apart over the one time he was not there to protect her.

"You keep saying 'we', Mark, but where were you when he had me on the pavement, kicking me like I was nothing?" Lexie said, on the verge of tears. "You weren't there. You can't fix it. You can't help me, and you don't get to be a victim here."

"Baby, I just-"

"I'm going to bed." Lexie cut him off. "I'll clean this up tomorrow."

Mark sighed in defeat and looked at the floor. He was running out of ideas and he knew she needed some kind of help. More than what he could give her. He had brought up the idea of counseling only to be shot down at the suggestion. A week ago, he would have blamed it on Lexie just being a Grey, but he knew that she was scared and she felt helpless and asking for help was just going to make her feel worse. The next morning, Mark woke up to find Lexie and his daughter gone and a note on the kitchen counter.

_Went to the mall, don't worry about us, Meredith is with us.  
I don't know if I will be home for dinner. _

_- Lexie_

He couldn't help but get a little pissed off as he crumpled the note and tossed it at the trash. She was so distant and no matter how hard he tried, he felt like she wouldn't reach back to him. He knew that she was going through a rough time but he knew that he was expecting a little too much too soon. He ate breakfast, gathered his things, and went in to work. Maybe surgery would be the distraction he needed. Meanwhile, Lexie and Meredith were picking their way through clothing racks while pushing Zola and Haley in their respective strollers.

"None of this even looks like something I would consider wearing." Lexie whined.

"So, you really told Mark not to touch you?" Meredith asked bluntly.

"Look, I told you. I'm not good with the physical contact right now."

"How is that possible? Mark is all about the physical." She replied.

"Yeah, I know." Lexie continued. "It's not his fault though. He tries so hard and...I don't know. I feel like I'm not good enough to him."

"If you are still shaken up then you shouldn't have to apologize for it." Meredith explained. "Mark should get that."

"He does get it." She said. "I think he just wants so desperately to make it better that he pushes a little too hard sometimes. I mean, I want nothing more than to be fine, because it will make him feel better, but I can't do that."

"Have you thought about seeing someone, like a counselor?" Meredith asked, nearly tip toeing at the question.

Lexie lightly laughed. "I can't. Being poked a prodded like a psych patient. I can't. I already did that and it wasn't really helpful."

"I get it." Meredith paused. "I think there is an obvious solution to how to get through it."

"What?"

"Your husband." Mereidith said quickly. "Talk to him. Open up to him. Like it or not, that's what he is there for. Besides, he probably needs you just as much as you need him."

Lexie just sighed, clearly taking the words that Meredith said to heart.

"It's just hard." She replied, looking down. "How am I supposed to let him in on something he will never understand?"

"You have to make him understand." Meredith said with a sigh. "Sweetie, that man loves you. He would move mountains for you if you asked him to. You have to trust that he is going to be there to catch you, even when he doesn't quite understand."

Lexie paused. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. Now, what do we think of this?" She replied, holding up a fuschia paisley blouse.

Lexie just schrunched her nose in disgust.

It was about six o'clock when Lexie opened the door to her apartment and pushed Haley's stroller inside. She placed her bag by the door and made her way to the living room, placing Haley in her playpen.

"We're home." She called out, giving Haley her favorite stuffed pig. "There you go, sweetheart."

"Hey." Mark said, walking into the room. "I thought you weren't going to be home for dinner."

"Yeah." She said with a slight pause. "I wasn't sure, but there wasn't really alot going on at the mall, so...here we are."

Mark just nodded, grabbing a beer from the fridge. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Lexie decided to break it.

"So, how 'bout those Seahawks?" She said with a smile.

Mark just shook his head at her and went about his business.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She caved. "I'm sorry for treating you like the criminal these past few days. I know it wasn't your fault and I-"

"Wasn't it though?" He said, cutting her off. "He was looking for me."

She sighed. "Mark."

"No, he was looking for me and I wasn't there so you were in the line of fire." He said, putting his beer on the counter. "I'm supposed to protect you, Little Grey, and I didn't do it. I failed."

"Stop it."

"No, I failed you. I...I can't ask you to just forgive me for that." He said with his head down.

"Look at me." Lexie said, getting no response. "I said, look at me." She said again, pulling his face up. "You are not responsible for this. I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was angry and I took it out on you and I'm sorry for that. I am. I was just scared and hurt."

"Baby, I'm so sorry." He told her, on the verge of tears. "I can't lose you. I won't make it."

"Shhh." She replied, hugging him. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. You're stuck with me."

**Did everyone else enjoy the Mark and Lexie moments in the Valentine's episode? It was brilliant. Thank you, Shonda. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I will try to update as soon as possible. Thanks again for all of your unwavering support. You guys are the best!**


	34. Chapter 34

**So I realize it has been practically a million years since I updated this whole thing. Blame my family. They decided to move us and it has been quite the adjustment. However, as I always say, better late than never. Grey's has been pretty interesting lately, even though we don't have a lot of Mark/Lexie action, I have enjoyed the drama with Cristina and Owen. I cannot believe he actually cheated. Shock! Anyway, here's to hoping we get a few really great scenes before the season's end. **

**Here ya go, my loyal followers!**

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing belongs to me, but of course, you know this because if it did, I wouldn't be writing this in the first place. : D**

"It's official. I failed my daughter." Lexie said with a sigh, as she sunk into Meredith's couch, her arm pointing at her daughter standing in the playpen.

"You didn't fail her." Meredith responded, clearly annoyed.

"She is turning one in four days and all she can say is "Da-Da". I can't pull a "Mama" out of her no matter how hard I try."

"I bet Mark is loving that."

"Oh, he is soaking it up, let me tell you." Lexie told her sister.

Meredith sat forward and carefully placed her cup of tea on the coffee table and placed her hand on her sister's knee.

"You never told me what happened. With that guy." Meredith proceeded carefully. "Did they find him? Are you going to press charges? What is Mark going to do about it?"

Lexie smiled. "No, no, and absolutely nothing. It's over. I just want to move on and forget about all this crap." She ran her hand through her brunette locks. "I had a great- I _have _a great life. I am not about to let one asshat of a guy take that away from me."

"I admire your attitude, but-"

"But what, Mer? Huh?" Lexie cut her off. "There is nothing to dwell on, it's done. I am fine and the sooner everyone stops treating me like a fragile little china doll, the sooner I can get back to normal, or at least whatever normal was for me."

"Okay. Okay." Meredith said, relaxing back in her seat. "So what are you planning for the little princess's birthday?"

"Nothing fancy or big. Just family and friends. Low key is best I think, especially since she won't remember her first." Lexie said with a smile.

"But you will." Meredith pointed out.

"It's her day, not mine. Besides, as long as I get to spend it with my little chubby cheeks, I am happy." She paused. "I do have one favor to ask though."

"Okay. Should I be afraid?"

"I was wondering if you would mind having the party here. Our apartment is just so small and with guests and kids and presents, it might get a little claustrophobic." Lexie rambled.

"Lexie, yes." Meredith interuppted her. "You can have it here. It will be fun."

"Great." She said. "Are you excited for your birthday, Hales?"

"Da-da."

Meredith burst into laughter.

"So not funny." Lexie said. "I hate Mark."

The next morning, Lexie woke to the smell of bacon and sunshine streaming through the curtains. She buried herself further into her comforter, hoping that she could rewind time and give herself another two hours of sleep. Before she could even attempt to fall back into her slumber, she was greeted by her husband carrying a carefully prepared meal on a tray, complete with a rose and a morning paper.

"What is all this?" She asked, sitting up as he placed the food next to her.

"It is just me and you." Mark told her. "Callie and Arizona took Haley to the mall to buy her birthday present and I just wanted to do something nice for you."

"Uh-huh." Lexie said slowly inspecting the food. "Did you cook this?"

"Okay fine, I got it from the restaurant across the street and brought it back." He caved, as she chuckled. "I did put it on the plate all by myself though."

"Thank you." Lexie said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "I love you. You are the best sometimes. But I know what you are doing."

"What?" Mark asked her.

"You think if Haley isn't here and you butter me up with a delicious breakfast that you are going to get some before my appointment this morning." Lexie got up and headed to the closet, grabbing clothes. "Not happening."

"What?" Mark said. "I am offended. How can you say that? I just wanted to show you that I love you."

"I love you, too, but lying was never your strong point." Lexie said laughing and kissing him on the cheek as she headed to the bathroom. "I have to shower, I don't wanna be late for the doctor."

"Last time I checked, I was a doctor." Mark yelled through the bathroom door.

"Mark, I go to the gynocologist regularly. It is nothing new." She yelled back.

Mark sighed. "You are denying me sex for a routine exam."

"You love me."

"Not now, I don't."

An hour later, Lexie sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office, flipping through a tabliod magazine she picked up from the table next to her. _How does Angelina have yet another baby? _Lexie thought to herself. _She practically has one from every country now. Most people buy keychains as souvenirs when they travel. She gets children._ She closed the magazine and tossed it back on the table with a sigh. She dug through her purse and grabbed her cell phone, scrolling through her emails. Work, work, work. Nothing she was interested in reading right now, even for the sake of boredom.

"Lexie Grey." The nurse called.

"That's me." She answered, making her way through the door. "Oh it's Sloan."

"Sorry?"

"You called me Lexie Grey." She said with a smile. "It's-It's Sloan."

"I'm sorry. I was just going by your records here. I'll make a note of it." She said as she took her pulse and blood pressure. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks."

Lexie sat on the exam table with her hands folded in her lap waiting patiently for Dr. Scott. She heard the door click and immediately perked up and smiled for the doctor.

"Hello, Lexie." He said, shaking her hand. "How are you doing today?"

"Really good." She responded. "Just here for my chekup. Make sure everything is running properly." She said with a laugh.

The doctor chuckled back. "Okay, let's have a look then."

This was the part she hated the most, she knew he was just doing his job and that everything was clinical and professional but still having a person, any person, looking in her personal area was awkward and uncomfortable. After what felt like an eternity, her doctor cleared his throat.

"Alrighty. Everything looks really good. I am just going to have my nurse take some blood and get a urine sample just so we can make sure that there is nothing going on that we can't see, okay?" He told her.

She nodded back, as the doctor exited. Two seconds later, the brunette nurse who greeted her, came back in. She quickly took the blood, showed Lexie the bathroom, and took her sample from her. It had been about half an hour when Lexie finished putting her clothes back on and the doctor knocked on the door.

"Did everything come back okay?" She asked.

"Yes. Everything is fine. Everything is really good."

"Great." She said, walking past him. "So I will see you-"

"Wait." He stopped her. "Mrs. Sloan. You're pregnant."

"I'm sorry?"

"You're pregnant." He told her again. "Your blood and urine both came back positive."

"Oh." She replied. "Okay...thank you."

"Congratulations."

"Yeah." She whispered, turning around and exiting slowly.

On her way home, thoughts bombarded her about baby number two. Were they ready? Could they handle? They had to, didn't they? She didn't really have a choice in the matter. It was done. She was worried and concerned, but underneath all of that, she couldn't help but feel the beaming joy that came with the feeling of being a mom...again. Having the feeling she felt every time she looked at Haley, doubled. The thought of that kind of love made her heart swell and suddenly she couldn't wait to share the news with Mark.

"Babe?" Lexie called, walking into the apartment. "Hey there, little girl." She greeted Haley.

"Da-da" She answered.

"Of course." Lexie sighed.

"Mark?"

Silence.

"Mark?"

Still nothing.

"Mark, for the love of God!" She yelled.

"Okay, okay. I'm here. What's wrong?" He said, coming from Haley's room. "I was just trying to find Mr. Gordo." He said, holding up the stuffed bear.

"Oh." She said, slightly embarassed. "I'm sorry."

He placed the bear with Haley and looked at Lexie, clearly concerned and slowly walked over to her, taking her hand in his.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked her.

"Sorry. I am just a little flustered." She told him.

"Okay." Mark replied, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Okay." Lexie said, breaking away from him. "I have news and I know that you're my husband and I can tell you anything, but just understand that I haven't really had a lot of time to process this so it is practically just as new to me as it is to you, so don't freak, okay?" She blurted, pacing.

"Okay." Mark said, worry written all over his face. "Babe, you're scaring me."

"Just. Shhh" Lexie took a deep breath before continuing. "No freaking, right?"

"Right." He nodded.

"Okay, then I'm just gonna say it." She paused. "We're gonna have a baby."

Mark stared at her with what looked like a mixture of shock and waiting to see if she was finished before he spoke.

"I'm gonna get some food." She said, walking to the kitchen.

"A baby? Really?" He said, coming up behind her and wrapping her in his arms. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She said. "Apparantly, when you shoot, you score."

She looked at him, studying his expression.

"You're happy about this right?" She asked.

"Of course." He said with a huge smile. "I have a beautiful daughter and now she is going to have a little brother or sister. I am the luckiest guy on Earth."

"I wouldn't say the luckiest."

"Hmm?" He looked confused.

"I'm just saying, that lottery winner last night. $70 million. That's lucky." Lexie said, laughing.

"You can't put a price on this." Mark said, kissing her. "And I wouldn't trade with him for all the money in the world."

"You are such a cheeseball." She said, kissing him again.

**So there it is. It is slightly rough but nonetheless I hope that it got the job done. I decided to go ahead and drop another baby in because if the kids are close together in age it makes it more chaotic. Anyway I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Remember, reviews make me giddy, so go ahead and hit that little button. **

**3**


	35. Chapter 35

**The reviews for my last chapter were overwhelming. Thank you guys so much for being so loyal and so supportive of me and my story. It makes mw want to keep writing it forever. Anyway, nothing else to do but post the next chapter so I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer:**** Basic '"I don't own anything" crap goes here.**

It had been roughly a week since Mark and Lexie discovered their newest addition to their family. Haley's first birthday came and went without a hitch and they knew the next year would be a big one.

"Oh, my God." Lexie said in disgust. "Do you have to eat that?"

"What?" Mark asked with a mouth full of his messy breakfast burrito.

"It smells awful, Mark."

"It smells delicious." He said, holding it out to her across the kitchen counter where Lexie sat on a bar stool. "You want a bite?"

Lexie felt herself gag. "No way, get that out of my face."

Mark laughed at himself.

"I forgot how much I hate being pregnant." She sighed.

"I forgot how much I like you being pregnant." He told her, causing a look of confusion to appear on Lexie's face. "You are so cute with your little belly. I can't wait for that."

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say when you don't have to carry it." She scoffed.

Lexie slowly got up and dragged herself to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Mark asked.

"After the smell of that burrito, it's going to be a matter of minutes before I vomit." She told him.

"I love you." He called after her.

"Mm-hm."

Lexie walked into Seattle Grace Mercy West hospital, nibbling at a granola bar when she saw Callie at the coffee cart, practically flagging down planes to get her attention.

"Hey." Lexie called to her, trying to keep her momentum.

"Hey." She replied, quickly catching up. "So I heard the big news."

"Is there anything he doesn't tell you?"

Callie giggled slightly. "Not really. So are you excited?"

"Clearly not as excited as you are." Lexie snapped.

"Whoa, there. Who peed in your Cheerios?" She asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm just-" She sighed, stopping to turn and look at Callie. "I'm hormonal. I'm hungry, but everything I eat makes me puke. I'm scared at the prospect of having another baby so soon after Haley and I can't tell my husband any of this because he is over-the-moon thrilled. So I'm sorry that I am taking it out on you. You don't deserve it."

"Come here." Callie said, holding her arm out.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Fruit is your new best friend. It is going to give you the nutrients you need, plus it is going to be easier on your stomach, so we are going to find you a nice apple."

"I hate apples." Lexie said.

"Okay, then a nice banana." She told her. "Work with me here, Grey."

Lexie had made it through her first surgery and even managed to hold down the small salad she had for lunch. She was using the last half of her shift to catch up on charts. Most people hated the paperwork part of the job, but she rather enjoyed it. It gave her some time to herself, some peace and quiet, and a chance to hear herself think. She found a nice, quiet supply closet and sat the back corner with a stack of charts on one side of her and a cup of coffee on the other. She had just finished Melinda Gomez's chart when she heard a tapping on the door.

"Yes?" She called out, confused. _Who would be knocking on a closet?_

"Hey there, gorgeous." Mark appeared in the doorway, walking in and closing the door behind him. "Nurse Lauren said I could find you in here."

"Apparantly, Lauren doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut." Lexie said, closing one chart and moving to another.

Mark whistled. "Wow."

Lexie groaned. "God! What is wrong with me? I'm snapping at everybody. I was rude to Callie this morning, I jumped down Meredith's throat at lunch, and I bit Derek's head off in surgery."

"So is that why you sequestered yourself to the supply closet?" He asked.

Lexie took a sip of her coffee and leaned her head against the wall. "Kinda."

"I see you're hitting the caffiene pretty hard again." Mark said, trying to veil the concern.

"I know you don't want me to have it, but I have had a really bad day and it is the only thing that has helped and hasn't made me want to empty my stomach. Please."

"Okay." He said, taking a seat next to her on the tile floor. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Mark broke it again.

"So you were really snippy?"

"Can we not talk about it, please?" She said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just saying. That's kind of hot." He said, with a smirk.

Lexie slapped him on the arm. "Shut up."

"Listen, I should probably get home. Mu shift ended a while ago and yours is about to start, right?" Lexie said.

"Yeah." He said. "It is, but if you need-"

"No. It's fine." She said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

Mark sighed as the closet door closed. Lexie was trying to be strong and he could see that she was feeling off. He wanted her to know he was there, regardless and that her problems, no matter how big or small, were not unimportant. Mark got up and made his way to his office. He noticed Callie leaving her office down the hall.

"Hey Torres." He called. "You done for the night."

"Yeah. You on the night shift?" She said.

"Oh yeah. It's what I live for." He said, sarcastically.

"You should talk to your wife." She told him.

"I already did. She's having a little bit of an off day. It happens." Mark said.

"Yeah." Callie said with a smile. "She's gonna be fine. She's a little scrapper that one."

"I know. I love that about her." He said.

"Well, I should get out of here." She told him. "Have a good night."

"You too."

"Mark." The cheif greeted, walking by.

"Chief, wait." He said, causing him to turn around. "Look, Lexie is going through some stuff right now and I really think I should be there. Is there anyway we can reschedule-"

"Say no more." Cheif Webber said. "I understand completely. If there is one thing I have learned from Adele it's that you need to be there every second she needs you. So, get out of here."

"Thank you, sir."

Lexie sat on one side of the "L" shaped living room couch, eating ice cream and Haley was sprawled next to her fast asleep with a blanket draped over her. She was watching an old re-run of _ER _on tv when Mark quietly opened the door.

"That is so not the right way to put in a chest tube." She muttered to herself.

"Talking to yourself?" Mark said, standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing home?" She asked with a mouthful of ice cream.

"My girl had a bad day, she needs me."

She scoffed. "I do not."

"Shut up and come here." He said, holding his arms out.

Lexie placed the ice cream on the coffee table and slowly collapsed in his arms.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch."

"Nah. You were fine."

"Please." She said. "I was a nightmare."

"Nightmare-ish." He said. "Will you settle for an ish?"

"I'm just nervous. Scared that we are moving too fast."

"We made it through Derek, Alex, and Addison." He said, looking in her eyes. "We are going to be better than ever. And another baby? That's just one more amazing creation. One more thing we did right for all the things we did wrong already."

"Okay." She said, snuggling closer to him. "But if this one is 'nightmare-ish', then it's all yours."

**Thanks guys, for all your unfailing support. You are the best followers the world can ask for. Love, Peace, and Grey's Anatomy. Review!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Thanks so much for the positivity! I was kind of anxious about how Lexie's bitchiness would work out, but I am glad that you guys are enjoying it. I hope everyone saw the latest episode of Grey's because the scenes between Lexie and Mark broke my heart. Lexie is so head over heels in love with him that is so sad to watch her hurt so much when she just talks to him. Plus, Chyler Leigh is just an amazing actress. Anyway, here we are with the latest installment.**

"Lexie!" Mark called from the kitchen. "Lex!"

"What?" Lexie responded, sticking her head out from the bedroom. "God!"

"I was just wondering if you wanted some breakfast." He told her, placing a small bowl of fruit in front of Haley, sitting in her high chair.

"I don't want anything except maybe a bigger pair of pants." She said while struggling to button her jeans.

It had been a month and Lexie had gained about ten pounds. She was more hormonal than ever and Mark couldn't help but think to himself that he didn't remember it being this bad last time. Maybe things weren't easier the second time around, perhaps that was just a lie parents told you so that you might actually want more kids.

"Looks like Mommy is having some trouble huh, kiddo?" He said, giving Haley a sippy cup of juice.

"Forget it, I'll just wear sweatpants." Lexie finally emerged in a pair of sweats and her old, ratty Harvard hoodie. Placing a kiss on Haley's head, she greeted her and grabbed a grape from her bowl, popping it in her mouth.

"Are you okay?" Mark asked.

"I'm fine."

"You just seem upset this morning." He pressed.

"Well, none of my clothes fit me anymore!" She snapped, throwing herself on the couch.

"Babe, they're not supposed to fit." He tried.

"Whatever." She got up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. "I'm going to work. I get off late. Don't wait up."

After the door slammed, Mark just looked at Haley and sighed. "I've got my work cut out for me this time around don't I, Princess?"

"Dada" She said, holding out an apple slice.

"Hey there, missy." Meredith greeted Lexie in the parking lot.

"Have you seen my pager?" Lexie asked, rummaging through her bag as she walked.

"No." She said. "Maybe it's at your apartment."

"Way to state the obvious." Lexie muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." She told her. "Look, I'm late. I'll talk to you later."

"Oooo-kay." Meredith said.

The day was long and exhausting and by the time she left all Lexie wanted to do was curl up in her bed with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and watch a horrible movie that she could mock. Walking into the apartment was the same as it had been since she got off later and later. Haley was in bed and knocked out, Mark was usually in bed waiting for her. She made her way to her bedroom and took her hoodie off, walking to the closet to hang it up.

"How was your day?" Mark greeted, looking up from his medical journal.

"Tiring." She answered with attitude.

Mark scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Okay."

"What now?" Lexie asked, clearly frustrated.

"Why don't you tell me?" Mark had finally had enough and he wanted his point to be heard.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that you are the one who has been in this mood for weeks." He started. "I don't know if it's hormones or work or what but, I can't take much more of it."

"Are you serious right now?" Lexie couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth.

"As a heart attack, Lex." Mark stood up and walked closer to her. "One minute your fine, the next, you are pissed off at the world and I have given up on trying to figure out what's wrong, because it always seems like it's something new."

"I have had a rough couple of days." She tried.

"It's been a rough month for us, Lex!" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Damn it. You have been like this for a month and I can take the attitude, but I don't want you to start taking it out on our daughter."

"I have not done anything to her!" Lexie raised her voice, now irate.

"I didn't say that. I said I didn't want it to get to that point." He said. "You clearly have some stuff going on and if you're not going to talk to me about it, then you need to find someone, because this version of you does not work for us."

"I don't need this." She said, grabbing her jacket and walking to the living room.

"Where are you going?" Mark followed closely.

"I'm going to Meredith's. Maybe she and Derek can give me an 'attitude adjustment'" She said with sarcasm.

"Come on, why are you gonna go over there?"

"Because I don't want to be here." She told him, looking for her car keys.

"Lexie, stop." Mark said, grabbing her wrist. "Listen to me."

Lexie snapped. "Get off of me!" She yelled, turning around and shoving him in the chest before storming out.

Mark just stood in the empty living room. He couldn't understand how they got here. Whatever Lexie was fighting, she was fighting it alone and the thought alone killed him. Mark picked up his phone and called Meredith, filling her in on what happened and letting her know to be expecting her. He still wanted to make sure that she got there in one piece. After talking himself out of going over there and trying to talk to her, Mark decided it was best to get some sleep. Maybe everyone would be better and a little more receptive with some rest.

Meredith walked out her front door, meeting Lexie on the front lawn as she walked to the door from her car.

"What the hell happened?" Meredith inquired.

"Mer." Lexie began to sob as Meredith pulled her into a tight hug. "I don't know what to do."

"What to do about what?"

"I don't know what to do." She cried into Meredith's clothes.

"Shhh." She tried to soothe her. "Come on. Come on, let's go inside."

Meredith walked Lexie to the couch, and sat with one arm around her.

"Talk to me. What's going on? Mark said you completely went off on him."

Lexie just sniffled and sighed.

"Lexie." Meredith coaxed. "You can talk to me and I won't judge you. Come on, let it out."

"I can't."

"You can't talk to me? You can talk to me about anything." She told her.

"I am so angry." Lexie let out while crying. "All the time. Ever since the attack."

"At who, honey?"

"Everyone. I am mad at Mark for not being there and Derek for not finding me sooner and you for caring too much and everyone for constantly asking me how I am. All I can think is 'Why am I here?' 'Why do I have to go through this more than anyone else'? It's not fair." She choked out. "And I'm mad at Jeffrey Sanders."

"Who?" Meredith asked.

"Jeffrey Sanders. He's the guy who assaulted me." She told her sister. "The police told me his name when they called me to tell me they found him. His wife was a patient of Mark's. She died on the table and he blamed him, I was retaliation on his part."

"When was this? The phone call, I mean?"

"About a month ago." Lexie said.

"Oh, sweetie." Meredith took her into another hug. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I still blame everyone for what happened and I guess I thought since I couldn't take it out on Jeffrey I would just let it out on you guys. I'm so sorry." Lexie said, falling apart.

"No, shhhh." Meredith consoled her, rubbing circles on her back. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

After a night of crying, consoling and just talking, Meredith gave Lexie her bed and spent the night on the couch. She figured she needed more than her after everything that she had been through. The next morning, Meredith woke up with a sugar hangover that could probably be credited to the gallon of ice cream she ate with Lexie the previous night. She dragged herself to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee when she heard a knock on the door. Somehow she already knew who it was before she opened the door.

"Mark."

"Where is she?" He pressed.

"My bed." Meredith said. "She is a wreck, Mark. So be nice."

"Thanks, Grey."

Mark tapped on the bedroom door and slowly pushed it open, finding his wife laying on her back with her eyes open, watching the ceiling fan, while she twirled her hair in one hand.

"Hey, stranger." He said lightly, as he sat on the edge of the bed. "You feel like talking to me?"

Silence.

"Lexie, come on. I've got to know what's going on." Mark said.

"Amanda Sanders." She said, without moving her gaze.

"What?"

"Amanda Sanders. Routine skin grafting operation, you were the surgeon, you had her on the table, she coded, you lost her." Lexie said, her eyes fixated above her.

"I remember." Mark said.

"Her husband was extremely upset." Lexie continued. "I could tell when he found me in the parking lot."

"Lexie-" Mark tried.

"I am so mad at you...all the time." She told him, her voice shaking. "I was just there and I paid for your mistake."

"Lexie, please."

"Where were you?" She asked, beginning to sob. "I needed you and you weren't there. When I was bleeding on the ground and broken beyond belief I need you and I was alone. And for that I have been so mad at you. I have been punishing you and maybe that's not fair."

Mark placed his hand on hers.

"Damn it, I have been so lost."

"Come here." Mark said, pulling her in his arms. "I am so sorry that I was not there. It should have been me. But, look at me, I am never going to let anything like that happen to you again. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you." Lexie said. "I am so mad at Jeffrey Sanders though."

"I know, baby." He said, pulling her close. "I know."

**I thought it was extremely important to pull back the curtain on why Lexie was acting the way she was and this chapter was actually a lot of fun for me to write. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and until next time, Peace, Love, and Grey's Anatomy. **


	37. Chapter 37

**So this chapter is going to involve a small time jump. I have a few kinda crazy ideas on where to take this story next and I cannot wait to explore them. As for tonight's episode, I think I speak for everyone when I say F I N A L L Y ! Lexie pouring out her heart to Mark was not only totally belated but it made me bawl like a 4 year old. Chyler Leigh, she gets me everytime. Anyway, here we go folks. **

"So, Lexie. How are things?"

"Good. I am alot better. I can finally breathe again and most of all, I am finally happy again." She said.

"That's great. This is all great. We have been at this for a month and you seem to be making huge strides. Amazing progress, really."

"Thank you, Dr. Hanson."

Lexie had started seeing a therapist at Seattle Grace after her meltdown with Mark. She figured she had let things get to the breaking point and her family was not something she wanted to lose over a guy that she convinced herself wasn't even worth her tears or fear. The meetings had been going great and Lexie had been feeling better than ever. She found herself spending more nights in with Mark and Haley. She was now about four months along in her pregnancy and had the glow and a small bump to show for it. She was on top of the world and she owed most of that credit to Dr. Nathan Hanson.

"So this is my last session and I was wondering if you had any last words of advice or any tips? I don't wanna lose myself again." Lexie asked.

"Just be open. If you feel something, talk about it. Find someone to open up to, Lexie, you'll be fine."

"Thank you so much." She said, rising from the couch to give the doctor a hug.

"It's my pleasure."

Lexie grabbed her purse and was almost to the door when he stopped her.

"Hey. I was gonna go grab some ice cream before I head home. You in?"

"Do you think that is such a good idea? I am your patient." She pointed out.

"You said yourself this was your last session. Besides, it is just two colleagues grabbing some ice cream as they both head to their respective homes." Nathan said.

"Okay." Lexie caved. "But you're buying."

"Deal." He chuckled.

Lexie sat across from Nathan, digging into a triple chocolate sundae. She couldn't help but feel a little like a cow when she saw Nathan and his small ice cream cone.

"Sorry." She laughed, wiping her face with a paper napkin. "I needed this."

"A night out?" He asked.

"No. Chocolate." She smiled. "My life has been hectic lately, to say the least, but I know if it wasn't that way, I wouldn't be where I am now."

"Yeah." He acknowledged.

"So, you're realitively new at Seattle Grace Mercy West right? How are you liking it here?" She said, taking another bite.

"I like it." Nathan began. "The rain is something to get used to, but the people I have met are so nice and the hospital is one of the best in the country. How's a man to top that?"

"Mm." She said, nodding her head in agreement.

"Plus, the women here are pretty amazing. Definitely some of the best I've seen." He told her with a smile.

"I have to get home." She told him, cleaning her mess and heading for the exit. "It's getting a little late."

"11:30?" He asked, slightly shocked.

"Have we seriously been here for two hours?" She began to freak. " I have to go."

Lexie bolted out the door before Nathan could say another word. Mark would be worried sick about her and the baby and she didnt want to cause any more problems for them than she already had. She knew that Mark had had just about enough. Lexie quickly walked the two blocks from ice cream parlor to her apartment. Walking to the door, she was nervous. The last she wanted was another late night fight. She turned her key in the lock and slowly pushed the door open to find Mark sitting on the couch, holding the baby monitor in his hand.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mark asked, rushing to her and looking for any injuries. "Is everything okay? Is it the baby?"

"No. I just- I-" She began to stutter. "I had to go help Meredith with something."

"Oh." Mark looked concerned. "What happened?"

"She was looking for some opinions on some home decor for the house that Derek is building." Lexie could feel the lies piling up.

"I wish you would have called me."

"I know, babe." She said, hugging him. "I just forgot is all. I love you."

"I love you too."

Lexie knew it was wrong to lie, but she knew that Mark would in no way believe that the ice cream trip with Nathan was completely harmless. He would make up some kind of extreme scenario in his head and she wasn't sure if she could deal with that on top of everything else. She convinced herself that she wasn't lying to cover herself, but instead was lying for Mark's own good. The next morning, Lexie went through her normal routine of getting ready for work. It was the first time that she and Mark were working the same shift in a while. Callie had agreed to keep Haley for the day, since she was off and to avoid the hassle of daycare.

"Hey babe?"

"Yeah." Mark answered.

"Have you ever met Dr. Hanson?" She asked. "The therapist that I was referred to."

"No." Mark said with slight disgust. "But I have heard things."

"What kind of things?"

"He is a pig, Lex." He explained. "He is like me four years ago, but with a bigger ego."

"Oh." She said, confused. "He seemed really nice."

"Seemed' being the opporative word. Do me a favor, go to Dr. Wyatt instead, okay? I would rather you didn't go to him."

"Sure." She agreed. "No problem."

Once at the hospital, Lexie made her way up to Psych, so that she could tell Nathan that she would be switching to Dr. Wyatt if she found she needed additional help. She walked into his office to find him writing busily at his desk.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Lexie." He said with a huge smile. "How is everything?"

"Great. Listen, I just came by to let you know that I am switching doctors. I think Dr. Wyatt can help me with any problems I may have in the future. I thank you for everything you have done for me and I wish you the best." She rambled, holding her hand out.

"What is this about?"

"Nothing. I just think Dr. Wyatt would be more beneficial."

"Is this about Mark Sloan?" He asked.

"What?"

"He is uncomfortable with this right?" He pushed.

"He should be." She pointed out. "This, it's inappropriate."

"Look, Lexie. I like you." He said.

"I like you, too. You're a great doctor." She smiled.

"No, Lexie." He said, taking her hand. "I like you. And I know you feel the same. I see the way you look at me. It's in the way you talk to me."

"Are you delusional right now?" Lexie pulled away. "I cannot do this. I'm married."

"I can give you more than he ever can." Nathan said. "If you just give me a chance."

"I have a daughter and a baby on the way." She continued, shocked at the words coming out of his mouth.

"I love kids." He told her. "We can make this work."

"There is nothing to make work."

"Lexie." Nathan grabbed her by the arms, kissing her with everything he had.

"Hey Lex, you dropped your keys in the lobby-" Mark said, walking into the office.

"Mark." Lexie tried.

"What the hell is going on?" Mark asked her.

"I- He-" She tried, but couldn't get the words out before Mark's fist collided with Nathan's face. He shook his hand in pain and turned to Lexie who was on the verge of tears. "I'm staying with Derek tonight." He sighed. "I can't even look at you."

"Mark, no." She tried as he walked away, slamming the door behind him.

Lexie wanted to fall apart, but somehow willed herself to leave. She told the chief she had some family emergency and headed straight to the apartment, hoping to find Mark. Her heart broke a little more when she was greeted by an empty apartment. Mark had clearly been there and packed a bag, his cologne, razor, and toothpaste were gone. She rushed to the kitchen counter and grabbed the cordless phone, automatically dialing her sister's number.

"Hello?" Derek answered.

"Derek. Can I speak with Mark please?" She asked.

"He is in the shower." Derek told her. "Hold on."

She grasped the phone for dear life as she heard Derek and Mark in the background.

"Who is it?" Mark asked.

"It's Lexie." Derek said. "Just take it."

"No." He responded. "I don't want to talk to her."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Make something up. I don't care." Mark replied coldly.

"Lexie. He is going to have to call you back." Derek said with sympathy.

"Okay. Thanks, Derek. Can you just tell him that I love him, please?"

"Of course." He agreed. "Good night."

"Goodnight." Lexie hung up and threw the phone across the room.

This was going to be harder than she thought. Therapy was supposed to make everything better not destroy everything she built. That night, she picked up Haley from Callie's and spent the night cuddling with the only person who seemed to like her at the moment. She would make things right if it was the last thing she did. If not for herself, than for her children.

**Well, there it is. I hope you guys enjoy this interesting turn in the story and review, I love reviews. I cannot wait for next week's Grey's so we can see if Mark has any reaction to what Lexie said. Also, there are rumors floating around about the big death in the finale, and some people are saying it will be Lexie. They have already said Mark is safe, but if Lexie dies, it will be devastating. Anyway, read and review and remember, Peace, Love, & Grey's Anatomy**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hey guys, I hope you are all still loving this story. I am working hard on it and I hope that comes across in the pieces. One reader pointed out the irony of the guy being named Nathan, the same as Chyler Leigh's husband. I would like to point out that my friend Emily picked the name and had no clue of the significance, just as I didn't until after the fact. Anyways, here we go. Tick, tock. Hurry up and get here, Thursday!**

It had been two day and not a word had been exchanged between the two of them. Aside from a couple awkward silences and a few glances at work you could almost believe they were complete strangers. Lexie knew that Mark was hurting, but she also knew that he was in the same position she was in when Addison had been the speedbump in their relationship, so she knew he wouldn't be incredibly receptive. Derek had called her about an hour ago, giving her a heads up that Mark was packing and planning on heading over to the apartment, which gave Lexie plenty of time to get Haley dressed, packed and taken over to Callie's. She wasn't sure she wanted her daughter to witness the ugliness that was almost guaranteed to follow. All she could do was sit and wait. The click in the lock made Lexie sit up straight and let out the breath she didn't even realize she was holding. He walked through the door and immediately headed to the kitchen and grabbed a beer.

"Hi." She said, meekly, instantly cursing herself for even opening her mouth in the first place.

He turned around and walked stright to the bedroom without so much as a grunt of acknowledgement. Lexie closed her eyes and sighed as she got up and followed his example.

"Are you seriously not talking to me?" She asked. "Mark, come on."

"What do you want from me, Lex?" He said, so calm it almost frightened her.

"I just want to say that I am sorry. I am sorry that it happened, but he forced himself on me and I don't know what else to say that doesn't sound like a terrible cliche, so there it is." She let out, crossing her arms, more for something to do other than letting them hang there.

"Okay." He responded, sitting on the side of the bed and taking a swig of his beer, before putting his feet up and turning the tv on.

Lexie awkwardly began rubbing her small baby bump and did her best to blink back the tears before continuing.

"I um...I talked to Meredith. She says that I can stay there with her, until I figure out something a little more permanent." Lexie tried her hardest not to stumble on the words. "I thought it might be for the best."

"Yeah. I think it's for the best to." Mark said coldly, shutting off the tv.

"Yeah." She said, turning around. "I am going to head out then."

"You already packed?" He said, with a hint of shock in his voice.

"Yeah." She answered. "Haley and I have been ready since I knew you were coming home. She is at Callie's, I'll grab her on my way out."

"I would fight you on this but, little girls need to have their moms." He said. "I'll talk to a lawyer so we can work out some kind of custody arrangement."

She nodded. The words just wouldn't come out.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Lexie." He said.

With that, Lexie turned and raced to the front door. She was determined that he would not see her cry. She shut the apartment door and knocked on Callie's door. Callie opened the front door with Haley on her hip.

"It's Momma." Callie said with a laugh. "Hey, she-" She stopped midsentence when she noticed the tears. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She said, obviously doing everything she could to keep from falling apart.

"Come here." Callie said, pulling her into her apartment. "What happened?"

Lexie slowly sat down on the couch and began shoving Haley's toys in a small pink backpack. "Lexie." She coaxed, sitting next to her.

"He's talking about custody arrangements." Lexie choked out. "I tried to talk to him and all he could tell me was that we needed to talk to a lawyer about custody arrangements."

"What?" Callie said in disbelief.

"I really don't wanna talk. I am just gonna head over to Meredith's if you don't mind." Lexie said, standing up and grabbing Haley.

"I'm really sorry." Callie threw out, before she could leave.

"Yeah. So am I."

A couple minutes later, Callie marched out her door and banged on her best friend's. Mark opened the door, shirtless, with a beer in hand.

"Hey. Hope your not busy. Can I come in? Super." Callie said, walking by him without giving him a chance to answer.

"Hey, Torres."

"Uh-uh." She held up a finger and sighed, trying to regain composure. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry?" He responded.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Okay." Callie gestured for him to sit and he slowly obliged. "Do you remember when you screwed up and you left Lexie at the alter?"

Mark winced slightly, he hated being reminded of hurting her like that and he was even more afraid of where Callie was going with this.

"Do you remember what you said to me?" She asked.

"No, but I am sure you're going to remind me." He snipped.

"You said that you would give everything you had just to take that day back. To go back before you hurt her. Do you remember that?" She told him.

"Yeah." He sighed, placing his beer on the coffee table. "I remember. What's your point?"

"My point is, how do you know that Lexie wouldn't give everything she has to take that day back?" Callie looked at him. "And I think you and I both know that it wasn't her, it was that asshat Hanson!"

"She was kissing him, Torres." He defended.

"You mean the way you were kissing Addison?" She shot back. "Oh, no, wait. You screwed her."

"Lexie is better than that."

"Talk to her, Mark." Callie commanded. "If you aren't going to do it for her or for you, then at least do it for your kids." She said, before storming out of the apartment.

Meanwhile, at Meredith's, Lexie, Meredith, and Derek were sitting on the couch while Haley played on the floor.

"He's going to come around." Derek tried.

"I don't wanna talk anymore." Lexie said. "I don't wanna talk."

"Okay." He conceded.

"Look, guys. I am going to go to sleep. I don't feel to good." She told them.

"What's wrong?" Meredith asked.

"My stomach hurts." Lexie stated. "It's fine. I just need some sleep."

"Okay, Haley can sleep with us, then." Meredith offered. "Since you're not feeling well."

"Thanks, Mer. Have a good night guys."

Meredith and Derek sat in their bed that night, Haley fast asleep in the bassinet next to them.

"Do you think they will be okay?" Meredith asked.

"I honestly don't know, honey. It's not like Mark to hurt like this."

"It's not exactly normal for her, either." She said. "She has always been bright and shiny girl. she has to be happy, it's in her DNA."

"Did you hear that?" Derek asked.

"What?"

Derek raced to the door and looked in the bathroom.

"Lexie!"

She was curled in a ball, clutching her stomach.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I think I need to go to the hospital." She choked out.

**I know this chapter was a little shorter than usual but the next one will make up for it. I wish you all a happy week and hope the reviews are good. Thank you all. Love to everyone!**


	39. Chapter 39

**The last chapter was kind of cruel to leave you on a cliffhanger so we are diving right into it.**

"I need help out here!" Derek yelled before heading back out to the car.

"Ow!" Lexie cried, holding her stomach.

Miranda Bailey was the first one out to the car.

"Get me a gurney." She barked. "Now, you fools!"

The scared group of interns scattered. When the gurney was rolled up, Derek and Miranda helped Lexie up and quickly wheeled her inside, Meredith following close behind with Haley in her arms.

"What happened?" Jackson asked in shock as he rounded the corner.

"Jackson!' Meredith called. "Thank god. Take her." She said, handing Haley off.

"But Lex-"

"Now, Jackson! Please." She begged.

Meredith walked over to Lexie's bedside where Dr. Bailey was scrambling to hook up the appropriate machines.

"You're gonna be okay kiddo." Meredith said, squeezing her hand for comfort.

"I need an ultrasound, stat!" Dr. Bailey shouted.

"I'm gonna call Mark." Meredith said, getting up.

"No!" Lexie yelled. "No. Don't Meredith."

"Lexie he is going to want to know."

"No he won't, trust me." She replied.

"He cares, Lexie. He should know." Derek tried.

"I could tell." Lexie whimpered. "Today when we talked. He never looked at me so cold and emotionless."

"Lex-" Meredith tried.

"No. I don't want him here!" She cried.

"Okay, you two, back off! She is in enough pain as it is. I don't need the two of you causing her unnecessary pain." Bailey yelled, pulling the curtain closed.

"What do we do?" Meredith whispered to Derek.

"I'll call him." He paused. "I'll go outside and call him. He needs to know and she needs him here, so I'll do it. It's better if she hates me."

Dr. Bailey quickly pulled the curtain back and pulled Meredith to the side.

"You guys should call Sloan."

"Derek just went to do it." Meredith pointed to the door. "What's going on?"

"Her placenta is detatching from her uterus." Miranda explained. "It looks like it started earlier today and I can't pick up a fetal heartbeat."

"The baby?" Meredith asked.

Dr. Bailey just sadly shook her head.

"Oh, my god." Meredith sank. "Does she know?"

"She knows." She explained. "She is barely functioning. I am taking her to the OR, but the baby...I'm sorry, Grey."

_One Hour Later_

"She is in a room, if you want to see her." Dr. Bailey announced to Meredith and Derek.

Meredith slowly walked in and lightly touched her sister's arm. "Hey." She whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't." Lexie whispered. "I don't feel, Meredith."

"Honey, I'm so sorry."

Lexie nodded, the tears falling. "Me, too. I failed, Mer."

"You did not." She wiped her little sister's tears. "You are an amazing mom. This...this just wasn't meant to be."

"He's so mad at me, Mer." Lexie sniffled.

"Shhh...it's gonna be okay." Meredith held her close. "It's going to be okay."

"Derek!" Mark called, jogging down the hall. "How is she?"

"Lexie is okay. She is in a room with Meredith." He pointed to the closed door.

"What about the baby?" He asked, full of fear.

"Her placenta detatched from her uterus." Derek explained, as Mark shook his head. "Bailey tried everything, but she wasn't able to save the baby. I'm sorry."

"No." Mark sank down in a nearby chair.

"Man, I'm so sorry." Derek said, squeezing his shoulder.

"How is she?"

"I'm not going to lie. It's pretty bad. I think she is kicking herself right now." Derek sighed. "You should go see her."

Mark sniffed, looked up at him, and nodded as he slowly got up. Derek walked him over to the closed door and lightly tapped.

"Meredith." He motioned with his head to step out.

With a pat on Lexie's leg, she got up and headed to the hall. A couple minutes later the door opened again and Mark entered the dark room. All Lexie could do was stare out the window, the darkness, the rain. It seemed appropriate for how she felt.

"Lex." He said, causing her to look at him. "Baby, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." She said, looking back out the window.

"Honey, talk to me." He was borderline begging.

Lexie began to fall apart. "I screwed up. The one thing I was supposed to do right and I screwed it up."

"This wasn't your fault."

"Please. Stop." Lexie wiped her eyes. "Don't come in here and try to make me feel better when you hate me."

"I don't hate you."

Lexie just scoffed.

"I was upset. I'm sorry." He tried.

"I need to sleep. Close the door on your way out, please." Lexie said, rolling over.

"No." Mark protested. "You can sleep, but I'm gonna sleep in this chair right here."

"I don't want you here." She said, blatently. "I don't want you here, just like you don't want to be my husband, so I guess fair is fair."

"Lexie-"

"You know, I let you explain to me a thousand times how you screwed up, why you screwed up and you couldn't give me two lousy minutes to defend myself."

"I'm sorry."

"There seems to be a lot of that today, huh?"

There came a knock from the door and a second later, Nathan Hanson appeared from behind.

"I heard you were here. Are you okay?"

The voice caused Mark to turn around and he immediately raised himself from his seat.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mark asked calmly, but not hiding his anger.

"Mark." Lexie tried.

"I just wanted to see how she was doing." Nathan said.

"How she's doing isn't any of your concern." Mark told him. "I'm her husband. It concerns me."

"Look, I was just checking on her."

"And so you have. Have a great night." Mark said with sarcasm.

Nathan walked toward the door before mark stopped him.

"By the way, if I see you so much as looking at my wife in a way that I find inapproprate, I will do much worse than a punch to the face." He told him. "Stay away from Lexie."

Nathan just nodded and backed out of the room. Mark shut the door and settled back in the chair where he was sitting.

"Thank you." Lexie mumbled meekly.

"Anything for you." Mark answered. "I love you. Get some sleep, okay."

"Yeah."

The next morning, Lexie had awoken to find Mark still in the same spot. She couldn't believe he slept the entire night sitting in that god awful uncomfortable chair. She felt lucky, but at the same time she felt bad and thought that part of him was only doing it out of obligation to his child. The child that she had lost. She picked up a small stress ball sitting next to her bed and pelted it at him.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Good morning, sunshine. You should get to work." Lexie said.

"The chief knows. He is letting me off the hook." He told her.

"Well, Bailey said I could go home today, so Meredith should be here any minute." She explained.

"She won't, actually."

"What? Why?" Lexie asked.

"You said it yourself, Bailey said you could go _home._" Mark emphasized. "We are going home together and we are going to start to heal together."

"Mark, just like twelve hours ago, you were talking about hiring an attorney. I don't want to go back home with you, just for you to rip the rug out from under me when I think we've found some solid ground."

"You are missing something, Grey." He said. "Everytime we think we're done with each other, fate, or life, or whatever, keeps throwing us back together. For some reason, no matter what I do...I can't let you go. Ever. Do you get that?"

Lexie looked down at her blanket.

"You and I. This is it. I am not going to let this go and I hope that you will fight like hell with me." He looked down to catch her eye. "What do say, Little Grey? Are you in?"

"One condition."

"Anything." He agreed.

"I pick the movie tonight." She said with a smile.

"Deal." He said, leaning in to kiss her.

**This chapter took a lot of pre-meditation and I wrestled with the decision of letting the baby go. It just seemed like the right thing for the story. Please don't hate me and I promise lots of juicy goodness to come. Thanks for all the support and I hope it continues. Much love!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hey guys! Sorry I have been nonexistant for a while. I have been coping with the latest developments in our Slexie universe. Lexie's death was completely unexpected and without a doubt, devastating. However, I do not comply with Shonda Rhimes, so I will continue this story, as to keep our favorite couple alive in my head and heart. Here's to Chyler Leigh, for without her, there would be no Lexie Grey. Enjoy!**

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked Mark as they walked through the sliding doors at the entrance of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. "Lexie sleeps. What's the big deal."

"That's not what I'm saying, Derek." He explained. "I'm saying she sleeps, all the time. Ever since she came home from the hospital, she just lays in bed, in the dark, and sleeps. All the time."

"Do you think she is coping?"

"I don't know." He told his best friend. "These are the things couples usually discuss with one another, but I can't bring myself to ask her."

"You can't bring yourself to ask her?" Derek clarified.

"I tiptoe around it. I don't want to upset her."

"It sounds like she's already pretty upset." He told Mark. "What about Haley?"

"Lex doesn't really have a lot to do with her...at this particular time." Mark said, looking at his shoes, as if he were slightly ashamed.

"Is there anyone, anyone at all that she would be willing to open up to. Talk about all this with?" Derek asked him, pushing the button for the elevator.

"George." Mark said. "He was her best friend."

"O'Malley's dead."

"Yeah, so you understand my predicament." Mark said with a sigh, as the elevator doors closed.

"When is Three coming back?" Cristina practically barked at Meredith as she met the landing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm not sure." She said, handing a chart to the nurse and walking down the hall. "I haven't exactly spoken to her since- Well, you know."

"I am just...I am up to my ears in pre-ops and post-ops and I kind of need Lexie here to do my grunt work."

"You have three other residents you can ask." Meredith pointed out.

"Incompetent, Mer." Cristina scoffed. "If I wanted incompetence I would just ask Kepner."

"Yes?" April said from behind Cristina, causing her to turn around quickly.

"What?"

"You said my name?" April said, confused.

Cristina paused. "No, I didn't. Get over yourself." She said, grabbing Meredith by the arm and walking away.

Mark came home after his shift to a dark and quiet apartment. It was nothing out of the ordinary here lately. Lexie and himself were both in a dark place. Lexie wanted to be left alone and Mark thought the last thing she needed was someone hovering over her every minute, inquiring about her feelings and how she was doing. Meanwhile, Lexie laid in her king size bed watching her daughter sleep soundly next to her. She found herself playing with her small hand and just studying the rise and fall of her tiny chest. No one prepares you for this. The loss of a life that never even got a chance to begin. She thought to herself, at least she had gotten one right. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Haley on top of everything else she had lost recently. She leaned over her little girl and lightly kissed her forehead, lightly stroking her soft, pink cheek.

"I love you." She whispered. "So incredibly."

Lexie pulled the small pink blanket over her to take the chill off of her skin.

"I don't think anyone quite prepared me for just how much my heart would swell when you got here." She continued. "I want you to remember that regardless of anything, I will always be here. You're my baby. Always."

She didn't even seem to notice she was crying as she laid her head on the pillow next to Haley and closed her eyes, soothed by the sound of her breathing. The light footsteps in the doorway caused her to turn.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Mark said. "I am just going to grab some sheets for the couch."

"Mark." Lexie stopped him. "Will you, um..."

"Yeah, Lex?"

"Will you sleep in here...with us?" She asked, rubbing circles on Haley's chest.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't want to be alone anymore." She told him. "I need my family."

He sighed and crawled into bed, Haley snug in between them.

"I am so happy to hear you say that." He kissed the back of Lexie's hand. "I love you so much."

The pair laid in silence for a few minutes before Mark broke it again.

"I was thinking."

"That's not comforting." Lexie said with a giggle, causing Mark to give her a faux scowl.

"I was thinking." He tried again. "We should get out of here. Take a week or so off and just get away. We can take Haley and just fly somewhere."

"Where?" Lexie said with a mixture of humor and disbelief.

"Anywhere." Mark told her. "France, Morocco, London, Spain. We can go to Antarctica if that's what you want. Just somewhere that isn't Seattle."

"But I like Seattle." She said.

"Lex-"

"Stop." She rolled over to look at him. "I appreciate it...I do. I don't want to leave right now."

"Lexie..."

"Mark, running isn't going to help. I don't need a distraction, I just need time, and time, no matter where I am, is still going to pass just the same." She explained. "I love you for this, but I have to work through it. And I'd like to do that here, with my family."

"We would go with you."

"ALL of my family." She emphasized. "You know how much Meredith means to me and how good she has been. I need her, babe."

"I know. You're right. I just thought it would help." He told her. "You just seem so broken."

"Mark, I'm not the only one who is broken here." She whispered. "I think I had been so preoccupied with my own feelings that I haven't even taken the time to ask about your pain."

"I'm okay." He smiled. "Don't worry about me."

"But I do." Lexie reciprocated. "It's my job."

"How are you doing...honestly?" Mark asked. "Are you okay?"

Lexie just stared at the ceiling, before hesitantly responding. "I will be." She answered, giving the best smile she could.

"Okay." He lightly whispered.

"I want to invite her over for dinner. A real family dinner." Meredith said, closing the refrigerator door.

"But you don't cook." Derek pointed out.

"No, but April and Jackson can help out. You'll be here. If all else fails, we can buy a cooked chicken or something from the deli down the street."

"Why the sudden need to be domestic?" Derek asked, slightly amused by his wife's determination.

"Lexie just lost a baby." Meredith stated, matter of factly. "I want her to know that she still has us."

"Mer, honey." He started, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind her. "She knows. You are a good sister. Okay?"

"I know. But a dinner would be nice."

"I judt think that cooking is not the answer."

"We are cooking this dinner!" Meredith yelled with finality, before storming out of the kitchen as Derek sighed.

**I plan for the next chapter to be the dinner. I thought it might be amusing to get everyone in one place for a while. It will make for awkward but always entertaining dialogue to write. Sorry for the sloppiness and roughness of the chapter. I think we are all still grieving. Once again, here's to Lexie Grey and Chyler Leigh! Lots of L0VE! **


	41. Chapter 41

**Hey guys! So I am back! Sorry it has taken so long. Work has been kinda crazy lately and when I get home, all I want to do is be lazy and go to sleep, which doesn't leave a whole lot of time to write in my Mark and Lexie world. I hope all of you are still following this story and I have to say that after reading Chyler Leigh's statement on her exit and hearing that Eric Dane knew and understood, I am starting to feel much better about the fate of Lexie. However, I have no intention of killing her, at all. I have more fun things to come your way so stay tuned and...ENJOY!**

Meredith answered the door, wearing a disturbingly happy smile and a terribly bright apron.

"There you are." She sighed in relief, as she let her younger sister inside. "Come here, Haley bug! Auntie Callie is here, wanna go say 'hi'?"

Lexie took her coat off and hung it near the door as she followed her sister into the living room.

"Where's Mark?" Meredith asked over her shoulder.

"I'm not sure. He got some weird phone call and then said he has something he had something he had to take care of." Lexie explained.

"Take care of?" Callie repeated, confused.

"I know." Lexie sighed. "I don't get it either...What is that smell?"

"The chicken!" Meredith shrieked, before running out of the room.

"Chicken shouldn't smell like that." Lexie whispered to Callie, who was sitting on the couch, holding Haley in her lap.

"You're telling me." She responded. "You weren't here for the meltdown over the baked potatoes."

"Why isn't Arizona here?"

"Emergency surgery. Pediatric kidney transplant." Callie said.

"Okay, guys." Meredith said, returning with a smile. "Let's eat. Jackson! April! Alex!"

Everyone slowly migrated into the dining room where Meredith proudly displayed her chicken in the middle of the table. After everyone had taken their seats and made themselves comfortable, they all stared at Meredith, as if waiting for further instruction.

"Well, dig in." She said, tossing her apron to the side.

"So, Torres." Alex started. "How did that badass knee surgery go?"

"It was amazing." Callie said with a raise of her eyebrow. "Avery over there was able to get accustomed to the bone saw."

"Gotta locve the saw action, man." Jackson said, nudging him, with his elbow.

"Oh, my God!" April said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Lexie asked, concerned.

"Um... I- Uh-" She stuttered.

"Spit it out, Kepner." Alex shot.

"Meredith. Chicken shouldn't taste like that."

Derek dropped his piece on the plate and linged for a napkin, causing everyone to slowly push their plates away.

"What?" Meredith asked. "What's wrong with it?" She took a heaping bite. "Nevermind. Don't answer that."

An hour later, after everything had been tossed out and cleaned up, everyone began heading out, including a seemingly bummed Lexie, who still had not heard anything from Mark. She was standing in front of Meredith's couch, getting Haley's toys packed away.

"Still no phone call?" Meredith asked.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Honey. I am sure it's just surgery."

"If it was just surgery, then he could say so." Lexie pointed out.

"You don't think he is cheating on you, do you?" She asked.

"Not really." Lexie shrugged. "But with him acting like this, I'm not ruling anything out."

"Okay, well let me know if you need anything, like a babysitter, or a body bag." She said with a playful shove.

"Thanks." Lexie threw her bag over her shoulder and picked Haley up and held her on her hip. "I'll meet you at work tomorrow at the coffee cart for breakfast?"

"Absolutely."

"'Kay. Thanks again...for everything."

It was about 2:30 AM when Mark finally made it back to the dark, quiet apartment. He carefully crept through the darkness and into his bedroom, where Lexie was out like a light. He silently changed his clothes and carefully slipped into bed, next to her, rolling over so that he was holding her close.  
"Baby?" He whispered.

"Hmmm?" She responded.

"Sorry I missed the dinner."

Lexie rolled over, so she was now facing him. "Where were you?" She asked, sleepily.

"Don't worry about it. I was just-"

"Taking care of something?" She finished. "Mark, please don't be cryptic. You know how I hate when you hide things."

"Shhh..." He tried to soothe her. "There is nothing, and I mean nothing, to worry about."

"So, tell me where you were."

"Lex..." Mark sighed. "Seriously, just let it go."

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Lexie threw the covers to the side and got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" He asked her.

"Okay." She said, taking a breath, standing at the foot of the bed that Mark was still laying in. "Are you seeing someone else? Is that what this is? Because if it is, please just tell me."

"What? No!" He said, shaking his head.  
"Then what is it?" Lexie pressed, on the verge of panic. "Is it drugs? I will help you get help."

"Lexie." Mark said, laughing.

"Why are you amused?"

"I don't have a drug problem." He said, getting out of bed and moving toward her.

"Gambling?"

"You are insane." Mark chuckled, pulling her closer.

"Don't call me crazy." Lexie pulled back. "This is not me being insane, this is you hiding things from me. I am tired of the secrets, Mark."

"Fine, if I tell you where I was, will you relax?" He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a small box. "I knew your birthday was coming up and since we spend alot of time together, tonight was the only night I could get away."

"Mark-"

"Just open it." Mark asked, as he handed it to her. "Please."

She slowly opened the box to reveal a tiny silver locket engraved with the letter S. She opened it to a small picture of Haley on one side and an empty space on the other. She found herself breathless.

"Mark." She let out.

"I thought S for Sloan was appropriate." He said with a smile. "Haley is there and this side." He said pointing to the empty spot. "This is reserved for our next addition."

"Mark." Lexie shook her head.

"It will happen." He took her hand. "When the time is right, it will happen. You have to believe that with me, okay? We will have another baby. I promise, it will happen. And when it does, that's going to be an amazing day."

"Yeah." She answered, stumbling on tears. "Will you put it on?" She asked handing it to him.

He fastened the clasp and draped his arms around her waist. "So do you feel better?"

"Stupid, is more like it." She corrected.

"No, not stupid." Mark comforted her.

"I'm sorry I'm such a raging loony. I really went to the worst." She explained.

"I understand." He said, kissing her neck. "If you weren't crazy, I wouldn't love you half as much."

"Gee, thanks." She said with a giggle.

"So can we go back to sleep?" He asked her.

"Yes." She said kissing him. "But no more secret phone calls."

"Deal."

"You seriously asked him if he had a drug addiction?" Meredith asked, laughing, the next day at the coffee cart.

"I know." Lexie shook her head in shame. "My mind just went there."

"What did you think he was getting into? A cocaine laundering ring?" Meredith laughed at her sister, as they walked into the hospital.

"Yes, I know." Lexie said, nodding her head. "I'm an idiot. Get it all out."

"I'm sorry." She stopped. "I probably would have accused Derek of worse. I really can't talk."

"When am I going to just stop, Mer?"

"Stop what?" She asked.  
"Second guessing him. Wondering what he is doing, who he's with, is he thinking about me?" Lexie explained.

"If you figure out how to turn it off, will you let me know." Meredith said. "I still have those thoughts about Derek. It's not giving into those thoughts that is the real trick. Remember that they are just thoughts. The reality is that he is so in love with you."

"I kinda caught on to that." Lexie smiled.

"Then you'll be fine." Meredith said, linking their arms together.

**Another chapter completed. I hope you guys enjoy and leave your thoughts. Also, if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see in the story next, feel free to share them. Love you guys, and until next time, Peace, Love, & Grey's Anatomy! **


	42. Chapter 42

**Jumping right into it here, guys! Thanks for the continued love and support. It honestly means the world to me. **

"Yes." Lexie said, laughing into the phone. "Yes. I can't wait. Okay, see you soon."

"Who was that?" Mark asked, taking a small sip of coffee as he sat next to Lexie on the couch.

"My best friend from college is going to be in Seattle and I thought it might be a good idea for us to catch up." She said.

"That's great."

"I know." She said, taking Mark's coffee and taking a drink. "We just lost touch after we both left Harvard and it's just hard to let go of a friendship like that, you know?"

"Yeah. I know." Mark said, he mind drifting to Derek and all he had put him through in the entirety of their friendship.

"So when does your friend arrive?" Mark asked.

"Mm." She let out, trying not to choke on the coffee in her mouth. "The flight actually lands in a half hour and I want to be waiting at the airport, so I should probably get moving."

"Okay. Be careful though." Mark called as Leie grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

Lexie stood at the arrivals gate anxiously toying with her hands for what felt like an eternity, when she saw the person who gave her a huge smile.

"Josh!" Lexie squealed, as she ran and jumped into a huge hug, causing Josh to pick her up against him.

"The famous Alexandra." He greeted, putting her down. "You look...eighteen."

"Shut up." She giggled. "You look amazing. It has been far too long since we last talked."

"Well, you know, you do have a phone, too, Alexandra."

"You know you are the only person who is allowed to call me that?" She said, playfully punching him in the arm.

"I know." Josh answered. "That is why I exploit it every chance I get."

Lexie just smiled.

"So Seattle is like home court for you, right?" He asked. "Where's a suitable hotel for a crazy guy like me?"

"Hotel?" Lexie asked. "Nuh-uh. You are coming with me." She said, taking his duffel bag from his shoulder.

"Alexandra-"

"Shut up." She said, holding her hand up. "Let's go."

Lexie led Josh into the apartment and placed his bag off to the side as she closed the door behind them.

Josh whistled lightly. "Nice digs, Alex. Time certainly has been good to you."

"It sure has." She said with a smile. "Just make yourself at home and I will grab a couple beers and you can tell me everything I have missed out on with you."

"You haven't really missed much." He told her, sitting on the leather couch. "I'm still me."

"How weird." Lexie walked toward him, carrying two beers, handed him one and sat next to him. "I'm still me, too."

"I missed you, Scrappy." He said, nudging her.

"Shhh...Don't call me that." Lexie said, laughing, soliciting a laugh from Josh in return.

"Lex?" Lexie turned to find Mark in the doorway with a confused look on his face.

"Oh!" Lexie hopped up from her spot and walked over to Mark. "Mark, this is my old friend, Josh. Josh, this is Mark, my husband."

"Husband?" Josh said, nearly spitting out the beer in his mouth. "Wow. You didn't tell me you were a Mrs, Alexandra."

"Alexandra?" Mark whispered.

"Yeah." Lexie answered. "Like I said, it's been far too long."

"Lex, honey." Mark stepped in. "Can I have a moment with you, in the bedroom, please?"

"Sure." She placed her beer on the coffee table. "I'll be right back."

Josh nodded and took another swig.

Lexie closed the bedroom door behind her and followed Mark to the middle of the room, rubbing her hands together.

"What's up?" She asked.

"What's up?" Mark repeated. "I thought your college friend was a girl."

"I told you that-"

"No. You never mentioned that the friend in question was a he." Mark pointed.

"Okay, so maybe I neglected a couple details. What's the big deal?" She asked.

"I have some strange man in my house, drinking my beer and calling my wife Alexandra." He explained.

"Mark." Lexie started. "I have known him for years. He is harmless."

"Alexandra?" He said, peeved.

"It's my name!" She defended. "Mark, come on, please don't turn this into a fight. Just give him a chance. He really is a great guy."

Mark sighed. "Fine. But I don't have to like him."

"Oh, Mark." She scolded as they walked back to the living room.

"So, Josh." Lexie asked. "What do you feel like for dinner?"

"You're a mom, too?" He asked, holding up a picture of Haley.

"Yeah, she is almost a year and a half." She answered, smiling.

"Wow." Josh said, disappointed.

"What?"

"What happened to you, Alexandra?" He asked lightly.

"What are you talking about?" Lexie responded, confused.

"Seattle ruined you." He started. "We swore we would never turn into these people. Married and stiff and boring before we hit thirty."

"Josh-"

"You and me, Scrappy." He paused. "We were supposed to see the Eiffell Tower and backpack through Spain, sleep on a park bench in London...What happened to that girl?"

"She's still here." She tried.

"No she isn't. She's too busy changing diapers and cooking dinner." He spat.

"Are you seriously pissed at me for having a family? For growing up?" Lexie threw. "Josh, we can't stay eighteen forever."

"We were gonna have a good run of it, though, remember?" He pointed out. "Look, I'm sorry. I should go."

"Josh, come on." Lexie tried.

"It's cool, Alexandra." He said, kissing her forehead and embracing her tightly. "I'll be in touch soon, okay?"

Lexie just stood in what was left of the silence that filled the room after the door closed behind him. A few moments later, Mark approached.

"Lex-"

"Don't say it." She begged. "Please don't gloat about this one."

Lexie walked over to the desk and pulled out a phone book.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to wait an hour and call the hotels, see where he is staying." She explained.

"Lexie, sweetie-" Mark tried.

"He is my best friend, Mark." She told him, looking him dead in the eye. "He is the closest thing I have to a big brother...I can't lose him."

"He doesn't want you to have a family of your own, Lexie. What kind of a friend is that?" Mark argued.

"He feels like I am leaving him behind." She said, sighing. "Before you, Mark, I was...independant. Fiercely independant. I had plans and dreams, goals, and I made those plans with Josh. He dreamed them with me and planned with me how we would make them come true and-"

"And what?" Mark asked.

"Me leaving him behind...it wasn't part of the plan" She nodded, hoping he would somehow just understand.

"Okay. I'll leave messages, see if we can get a phone call if he checks in somewhere." He said, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"If he is family to you," He said. "Then he is my family, too."

**This was incredibly different for me, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. I wanted to introduce someone that in some ways, knows Lexie better than Mark and poses a threat to him, without actually being a threat. No romantic chemistry whatsoever. I had so much fun writing this chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it too! Love! XOXO**


	43. Chapter 43

**Hey everybody! Not having Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays is killing me. I hate summer hiatus. Anyway, it's a very good thing that I have this story to keep me busy. Enjoy, everyone!**

Lexie stood at the kitchen counter with the telephone between her ear and shoulder, while scribbling on a Post-It.

"Room 324? Okay. Thanks so much." She said, hanging up. "He is at the Archfield. I'm going to head over there."

"I'll grab Haley and I'll go with you." He offered.

"No." She protested, pulling her coat on. "This is my best friend. I need to do this on my own. Understand?"

"Not really. No."

"Mark." She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Lex, wait." He tried.

"I love you." She called, closing the door behind her.

Exasperated, Mark threw the towel in his hand at the wall and let out the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. On some level, Mark couldn't help but be irritated that there was a part of Lexie's life that he knew nothing about. That there was another person who knew things about her that he didn't.

Meanwhile, Lexie walked down the dimly lit hallway on the third floor of the Archfield hotel. She knew he probably wouldn't want to talk to her, but she couldn't stand the thought of leaving things the way that they had the night before. She took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door. After what felt like the longest thirty seconds in history, Josh opened the door, fresh from the shower in a towel and wet hair.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, letting her step inside.

"I wanted to talk." She replied with sensitivity. "I want to know what's going on with you."

"What's going on with me?" Josh clarified.

"Josh." Lexie started. "There was a time that we could talk to each other about anything. All I am asking you to do is trust me. Talk to me."

"I can't talk to you, Lexie." He said, aggravated, as he walked to the opposite side of the room.

"You just called me Lexie."

"That's your name, isn't it?" He shot back.

"I don't understand." Lexie tried. "What is the problem?"

"You have a whole new life!" He yelled. "You were my _best _friend and in this short amount of time, you accumulated a whole new family!"

"So, you're pissed because I have a family?"

Josh scoffed. "You still don't get it, do you?"

Lexie shrugged.

"You told Molly. You told Thatcher. You told all our old friends. Hell, you even told that new sister of yours that you barely knew." He fired.

"Meredith." She corrected.

"You didn't even bother to tell the guy who had your back for eight years."

"Josh." Lexie tried.

"How long has, uh, Meredith, is it?" He said, pulling a beer from the mini fridge. "How long has she known you?"

"A few years now."

"Does she know you as well as I do?" He asked, taking a swig.

"She's my sister, Josh." Lexie pointed out.

"But does she _know_ you." He drew out. "Like, does she know how you take your coffee? Does she know that you failed your driver's test twice? Does she know that you talk in your sleep when you're stressed?"

"She knows me, Josh." She said defensively.

"They may know you, but none of them _know _you. Not like me, Alexandra." He told her, sitting on the bed.

"Josh." Lexie let out a breath as she sat next to him. "I love you...so much. I don't want you to feel like you don't have a place in my life, because you do. I am still the same girl. I just can't jet off to Paris or drive to Vegas whenever I feel like it, like you can. I have a family now. I have responsibilities."

"Responsibility, huh?" He said with a smirk. "I've heard of that."

"I'm sorry that you felt left out." She pulled his face to hers, so that their foreheads were touching. "You are my best friend, J.J." She laughed.

"You're _my_ best friend, Scrappy." He giggled, causing Lexie to playfully push his face away.

"So what so you think?" Josh asked. "Chinese?"

"Absolutely." She answered. "As long as you order the..."

"Kung Pao Chicken." They said together.

"I'm gonna go pick a movie, you go throw some clothes on, nobody wants to see all that." She gestured with her hands.

A few minutes later, Josh returned to Lexie sprawled on the bed, flipping through channels.

"Doesn't your husband wonder where you are?" He asked.

"He knows I am here." She told him. "Besides, it doesn't matter."

He chuckled and laid down next to her. "So this guy...what's his name?"

"Mark." She answered, shutting the tv off.

"Mark, right." Josh looked at her. "Is he a good guy?"

"He's a great guy."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Lexie assured him. "He is brilliant, an amazing surgeon and a truely great guy."

"So, he pulls out chairs for you, says 'Bless You' when you sneeze, opens your car door and all that good stuff?" Josh pushed.

"He does." She nodded. "I love him. Believe me, I know how lame that sounds, considering how we talked about how we wouldn't fall for it, but...I fell...and Mark caught me."

Josh nodded. "That is so sweet, it makes me want to vomit." He said, climbing off the bed to grab the food.

Lexie noticed her phone buzzing for the fifth time that night. She pulled it out of her pocket and hit the ignore button, just like she had the previous four times. Lexie held her hands open to grab a bag.

"Okay." Josh said, handing her a fortune cookie. "Tell me my fortune."

It was 4 am when Lexie made her way back into the apartment, it was completely dark and quiet. She thought in retrospect, she probably shouldn't have had that extra beer. Her head was pounding and for some reason, she couldn't remember where the bedroom was.

"Where the hell have you been?" She heard a voice ask from behind her, as she struggled to lock the door.

"You knew where I was." Lexie said, placing her purse on the couch and walking over to Mark. "Hey mister." She said, attempting to kiss him.

"What are you doing?" Mark asked, pulling her off.

"Attempting to kiss my fella." She said with a giggle.

"Are you drunk?"

"I'm buzzed." She pointed out. "I took a cab home."

"You're getting wasted with him?" He said, disappointed.

"Relax, Grandpa." She laughed. "It's not a big deal." She muttered, walking by him into the bedroom.

"Lexie." He grabbed her arm. "What the hell are you doing? You said you were going to talk to him, not spend the night with him."

"Which is why I came home." She said matter of factly.

"I feel like you're being careless." Mark said, cautiously. "This is your home. Haley and I are still here. Think about that."

"That's unfair." She whispered.

"Go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." He said, closing the door.

That night Mark slept on the couch while Lexie snored like a buzzsaw in the other room. They weren't exactly in a fight, but he knew there was tension and if something wasn't said or done, they would regret it later. He had a sinking feeling and sleep wasn't going to make it go away.

**I hope you enjoyed this addition. Once I start writing it just kind of flows after a while. I hope to have a new chapter up by the end of the week due to my lack of a real life. Anyway keep reading! Peace and Love! XOXO**


	44. Chapter 44

**Hey guys! So, the reviews I got made my whole day. Thank you guys so much for keeping up with this crazy story and giving me something to do. Read, enjoy, and review!**

Lexie's eyes slowly opened to the bright morning sun and instantly she regretted the night before. She felt nauseated and exhausted. She knew it wasn't the best idea to follow up the Kung Pao Chicken with all that chocolate and ice cream. She slowly dragged her tired body out of bed and trudged into the kitchen, looking for anything to quench her thirst. Mark was sitting at the bar with a bowl of cereal and the paper, Haley beside him, eating a granola bar in her high chair.

"How you feeling, champ?" He asked her, recieving only a groan in response.  
Lexie grabbed a bottle of water and sat on a stool next to Mark, propping her head on her hand.  
"My stomach hurts." She told him, opening the water and taking a small sip.  
"Can we talk?" He asked her.  
"Mm-hm" She nodded.  
"Lexie. I don't want this to become a problem for us." Mark explained. "The Josh thing, I mean."  
"The Josh thing?" She repeated. "He is my _best _friend, Mark. Where is this coming from?"  
"Lexie, you are spending nights with another man!" He protested.  
"One night!" She fired back. "It was with Josh! I don't even understand why we are having this conversation right now."  
"What a shocker, you don't see it...again."  
"What does that mean?" She asked.  
"Do you seriously not see how he wants you?" Mark pointed out. "It's so blatantly obvious, Lex."  
"Do not be ridiculous. We are friends, nothing more!" Lexie replied. "Why do you do this everytime I even speak to another man?"  
"Do you honestly expect me not to care when another man is hugging all over you?" Mark asked, seemingly lost.  
"I expect you to keep your cool like a normal person and realize that Josh is not a threat." Lexie sighed.  
"I saw what I saw, Lexie!" He yelled.  
"Stop yelling at me!" She tried.  
"Don't act like he is innocent, he is weaseling his way in and-"  
"Oh, for goodness sake, Mark, Josh is gay!" Lexie blurted.  
Mark stood in shock. "What?"  
"Gay." She repeated. "Trust me, he does not want me like that."  
"Lexie, I-"  
"Notice how I never said anything when you would hang out with your friend, who happens to like men." She went on. "You used to sleep with her!"  
"Lex-" He tried.  
"No. You want to talk about trust." She said, throwing her running shoes on. "You have to know what it is first."  
She walked across the room, picked Haley up, and headed for the door.  
"Where are you going?"  
"To see Josh." She snapped. "We'll be home later, if I'm not busy having sex." Lexie slammed the door.  
"Well, if it isn't Alexandra and...little Alexandra." Josh chuckled.  
"Hey, I thought we could grab some lunch and maybe..." Lexie paused. "What's with the bags? Are you leaving?"  
"Scrappy-"  
"Don't call me that!" She shot. "Are you leaving?"  
"I have to." He sighed.  
"Why?"  
"I have some stuff I have to take care of." Josh dodged. "Some engagements."  
"I don't believe you." Lexie fought. "What is going on?"  
"Alexandra."  
"Josh!"  
"Okay." He sighed, walking her over to the bed, slowly sitting. "I am flying to Pheonix to meet with a specialist."  
"Specialist?"  
"Cancer, Scrappy." Josh said. "Pancreatic cancer."  
"How-How advanced?" She found herself stumbling on her words.  
"Very." He told her. "It's not looking good for me."  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Lexie quietly asked. "Why?"  
"Because I knew you would do this." Josh laughed, wiping a tear from her face. "Baby, it is okay. I will be fine."  
"But you're not fine!" She began to sob. "You're far from fine. Why wouldn't you let me know last night?"  
"I didn't want this visit to be about me being sick." He said. "I wanted it to be about you and me, the way it was."  
"But it is about you being sick!" She continued to let the tears fall. "That is what it's about now!"  
"Shhh...Come here." Josh pulled her into a hug.  
For what seemed like forever, Josh just held her.  
"So..." Lexie stepped back. "This is goodbye?"  
"It's see you soon, buddy." He nudged her. "I'm not going down without a fight."  
"There's so much I want to say."  
"Don't." Josh stopped her. "Don't turn this into a depressing moment."  
"I won't." She promised. "Just let me get this out, okay?"  
"Okay." He smiled.  
"J.J., I love you, okay? And I want you to know that no one will ever know me like you do. You're the big brother I always wanted." She wiped a tear from her cheek and pulled Josh into a hug.  
"Hey, Scrappy?" Josh asked.  
"Hmmm..." Lexie responded.  
"I will always be here for you, even when I'm gone." He said, causing her to begin to fall apart. "And promise not to cry over me for too long, because you are far too beautiful not to smile. And be sure to laugh...alot, unbelievably loud and ridiculous."  
Lexie laughed.  
"Just like that." He said. "If I leave anything behind, I want it to be that. That smile.  
Promise you won't lose it, even if you lose me."  
"I promise." Lexie replied, as they heard a car honk outside.  
"That's my cab." He stood up, pulling his coat on. "It's been real, Alexandra."  
"Call me...soon." She emphasized.  
"Of course." He hugged her again, then placed a small kiss on Haley's forehead. "Take good care of your momma."  
Josh walked to the door with Lexie right beside him.  
"I love you like red and yellow Skittles." Josh told her.  
"I love you like triple chocolate cake." Lexie replied.  
With that, Josh walked down the hallway and disappeared into the elevator, leaving Lexie to let a few more tears fall. Twenty minutes later, Lexie gathered her daughter and her composure and headed back home. She carried her daughter on her hip and slowly closed the door, placing Haley in her playpen and sulking on the couch.  
"Lex?" Mark rushed over. "Baby, what's wrong?"  
"He is going to Pheonix." She said, slowly.  
"Why?" He pushed. "Because of what I said?"  
"He is dying, Mark." Lexie sighed. "Pancreatic cancer."  
"What?"  
"My best friend is going to die." She began to sob into Mark's chest.  
"Shhhh" Mark soothed. "It's alright."  
"No." She cried. "It's not."  
Mark held Lexie until she fell asleep and carefully put her and Haley to bed. With Lexie completely out, Mark grabbed his phone and dialed quickly.  
"Dr. Watson, please?" He asked. "Dr. Mark Sloan. I'm an old student of his and I need to speak with him." He paused. "Tell him my brother has advanced pancreatic cancer and I need him to call me as soon as possible. Thank you."  
**Thanks again, guys for all the love and support. Just so you know, the decision to give Josh cancer was not an easy one, but I feel it was right for the story, as was making him gay. I knew as soon as I created him, he was gay. Anyway, remember that reviews make me smile and I love each and every one of you. Peace and love. XOXO**


	45. Chapter 45

**I have to say that the attention that I have gotten from this story is so overwhelming and the appreciation is huge! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed or bothered to read this story at all. You are the ones I do this for. ENJOY!**

"Welcome home, honey." Mark greeted as Lexie trudged through the front door.

Work was exhausting and she had still been a little bummed over what happened with Josh. It had been a month and a half since Lexie heard from him and it killed her that her best friend didn't want her there with him during the fight of his life. If she had learned one thing about Josh over the years, it was how he was when he made up his mind about something. There was no changing it. Mark had gotten Josh an appointment with Dr. Watson, one of the best oncologists he knew. However, his hands were tied with not being able to force Josh to show up.

"Still haven't heard from him, huh?" Mark said.

"I got a text from his sister." Lexie sighed. "He is there. He is doing radiation and treatment. She said she would keep me updated."

"Where is his sister?"

"Florida." She answered. "He doesn't want me there right now and that's fine, I'm just going to be here when he decides to change his mind."

"That's my girl." He said, walking over and rubbing her neck.

"So how was your day?" Lexie asked Mark.

They were interuppted by a knock on the apartment door.

"Ignore it." Mark said.

With a laugh, Lexie got up and walked to the door, opening it to find a petite, blond woman, texting on a BlackBerry.

"Sorry, I must have the wrong apartment. I'm looking for Mark Sloan." She said.

"No. He is here. Can I tell him who it is?" Lexie offered.

"Mark!" She called, pushing past Lexie.

"Melody?" Mark responded, clearly surprised.

Lexie just stood back and watched.

"I heard you were living here now, but I honestly couldn't see it. Wow, look at you."

"Uhhh" Mark stuttered. "Lexie, this is Melody Thompson. She was my intern in New York."

"Your intern, huh?" She said, remembering when that was her title. "Hi. I'm Lexie."

"You must be the girlfriend." Melody said.

"The wife, actually." Lexie snapped.

"Ooh. This one has bite, I like her." She turned to Lexie. "I have a tendency to open my mouth and put my foot in. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Lexie sighed with relief.

"So how has life with our boy been? I want to hear all the dish." She said, taking Lexie by the arm, heading for the bedroom and tossing her bag at Mark.

"He is pretty great. Great husband, great father." She said with a smile.

"Whoa." Melody replied, plopping on the bed. "Father? I guess things do change."

"He has done a lot of that." Lexie told her.

"So, what did it for you, Lexie, right?" Causing Lexie to nod. "Was it the smirk? It was the smirk, right?"

"Well, it didn't hurt." She answered.

Melody reached in her pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, gesturing to Lexie, offering her one.

"No." Lexie answered confused.

"What's with the look?" She asked her. "Just because I practice medicine doesn't mean I have to be healthy all of the time." She said, lighting up and inhaling deeply.

"So you were Mark's intern? When?" Lexie asked.

"About ten years ago." She said, exhaling. "Derek and Mark were the troublemakers and what can I say? I like trouble." She said with a smirk.

"I see." Lexie said, visibly uncomfortable.

Melody made her way off the bed and over to the dresser, looking at the photos of Haley framed on top.

"Look, Lexie. Clearly, you are uncomfortable with me being here and that's okay." She told her, lightly touching a photo. "I like you, though. You have fire. I wanna take you out for a drink."

"I don't know if-" She tried.

"Oh, come on. It's one drink with a potential friend. It's not a week in Ouahu. I promise I will get you back in one piece." She raised an eyebrow. "Live a little."

"Alright. Let's go." Lexie said, grabbing her bag.

"That's what I'm talking about." Melody said, putting out her cigarette out on the bottom of her boot.

Grabbing Lexie by the hand, Melody headed straight for the door, only stopping to pick up her bag. Mark stood in the kitchen until he saw them.

"Lexie, where are you going?" He asked.

"With Melody." She answered. "We were going to grab a drink."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Mark said, with a worried expression.

"Seriously, Grandpa." Melody snapped, holding the doorknob. "What do you think I'm gonna do to her?"

Mark sighed and pulled Melody to the side.

"Do not do this." He told her, in a warning tone.

Melody just smiled. "Do what? I'm just making a friend."

"You know damn well what I am talking about." Mark said. "I will make you sorry if you do anything to her."

"If I were you, I wouldn't be making threats right now." She whispered. "I didn't realize you had a type."

"Melody-"

"Young, naive interns. You are quite the class act, aren't you Mark Sloan?" She looked at him dead on. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll name my price later."

"Melody-"

"So I hear everyone goes to Joe's around here." She said as she turned around, heading back to the door.

"Yeah. It's actually right across the street." Lexie said, grabbing her keys.

"Great." Melody added, following her out the door, smiling at Mark. "I love easy."

It was after midnight when Lexie came back through the front door, much to Mark's relief, she was alone and thankfully, not drunk. Mark was still sitting on the couch in the dimly lit living room, with his phone is his hand, dropping it as soon as he saw his wife.

"What are you still doing up?"

"Waiting for you." He said, walking over, embracing her in a hug.

"What is all this?" She said, pulling back. "Mark, it was just a drink."

"You're okay?" He asked her.

"Yes." She laughed at him. "What is going on?"

"Melody. She-"

"She's a riot, Mark." Lexie said. "So funny, let me tell you, I was worried about going out with her, but she seems like a really great girl."

"Yeah." Mark said, looking down.

"What?" Lexie giggled. "That didn't sound very convincing."

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure."

Lexie walked over to the couch, Mark close behind. They both sat down and lingered in silence before Mark sighed and finally spoke.

"Melody was my intern in New York, quite a while ago." He started.

"Yeah, you guys told me that." She nodded.

"Melody and I were...involved." Mark spilled.

"Ah." She said. "And the conversation turns."

"Lexie-"

"I'm not understanding. She doesn't seem to be harboring a grudge." She told him.

"She's unstable." Mark said.

"Unstable?" She repeated. "Mark, honey, I think you just need some rest. She isn't crazy. She is just trying to get to know me a little better and catch up with you."

"Lex-"

"I promise you, she is perfectly fine." She cut him off. "Nobody likes a bitter ex, Mark."

With a pat on his thigh and a peck on the lips, Lexie headed to the bedroom. Mark was worried. Melody was getting comfortable and he figured that meant she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. His phone chirped, causing him to pull it out of pocket and look.

_Your little chippy is quite enjoyable. I wonder if she'll still gush about you when I spill the beans. What do you think, Mark? Up for a little negotiation? _

_-M_

Mark texted back.

_Why are you even here? There is nothing here for you, Melody. Stop playing games, leave my family alone and go home. _

Less than a minute later, he received a response.

_You know how much I enjoy playing with you. Don't worry, honey. I'm not going anywhere. I am just starting to have a little fun. -M_

Mark sighed and tossed his phone on the couch. Running a hand through his hair, it was beginning to occur to him just how bad this could get.

The next morning, Mark awoke to Lexie's empty side of the bed. Still groggy, he slowly got up and checked Haley's room on the way to the kitchen. He was relieved to find his daughter, still fast asleep in her crib. He continued to the kitchen to find Melody and Lexie in the kitchen, drinking coffee and laughing.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Lexie greeted him, with a kiss.

"Hey." He responded, wrapping an arm around Lexie's waist and pulling her close.

"You guys are adorable." Melody said with a smile.

"I know." Lexie answered. "I kind of like him."

"Where's the paper?" Mark asked.

"Oh. I'll go grab it." Lexie said, putting her coffee down. "I'll be back in a minute." She went out the door, heading downstairs.

"Enough is enough, Melody."

"That's not for you to decide." She said, taking a bite of her scone.

"This is my family you are screwing with. My life." He said, angrily.

"You think you didn't screw with mine!" She fired back.

"What was I supposed to do?" Mark yelled.

"You left me, you left me for her and you think that was okay?" She said.

"Addison?" He told her. "You are still hung up on that?"

"Yeah. We'll see if you're still hung up on Lexie when I'm done with her." She threatened.

"Melody, I swear if you-"

"Got it!" Lexie said, walking back in. "What did I miss?"

"Mark was just telling me the funniest story." Melody smirked. "Lexie, what do you say, you and I take the little nugget of your to the park?"

"No." Mark threw out.

"What's wrong?" Lexie asked.

"We have plans. I'm taking Haley to Derek's to play with Zola."

"I'm sure Derek and Zola can see her another day." Lexie offered, with Melody nodding in agreement.

"I'm not cancelling. Sorry." He said, storming out to get Haley dressed.

"Oooo-kay" Lexie said. "He is just not himself lately."

"Oh, it's okay." Melody smiled. "I know exactly what you mean."


	46. Chapter 46

**Alot of the reviews for the last chapter where mainly questioning Melody and her motives, both of which, will be revealed soon. It is so much fun writing for her. Okay, guys, here you go!**

Frustrated and short on patience, Mark walked quickly through the lobby of the Archfield hotel. He had gotten Melody's room number from the desk clerk and had every intention of reminding her of her place in all of this. He pounded on the door with the gold 214 in the middle. About a minute later, Melody opened the door wearing sweatpants and an old ratty t-shirt, towel drying her hair.

"Oh, it's you." She muttered, walking away, leaving the door open for him to enter. "This is quite the surprise."

"Go home."

"Home?" Melody scoffed. "Please, I think Seattle is just starting to warm up to me."

"What do you want?" He asked her.

"What do any of us want, Mark?" She replied.

"Don't be cryptic." He raised his voice. "You are screwing with my life, my family and I am not going to continue to stand by and watch."

"What are you gonna do, then?" Melody pressed. "Since you've apparantly grown some balls since I last saw you."

"Melody-"

"You are going to do whatever I tell you to." She said, crossing the room toward him. "You don't want me telling your pretty little wifey your big dark secret, hmm?" She lightly traced a circle with her finger on his chest.

"You know I didn't do it? You made the whole thing up." Mark protested.

"Ah, but see, that's the funny thing about reputations, Mark. People tend to believe whatever they hear if it fits into the reputation." She plopped onto the bed, grabbing a cigarette and lighting it. "And you've made one hell of a reputation for yourself, sweety."

"Tell her. Go ahead." He said, throwing his hands up in forfeit. "Lexie knows me better than that."

"Are you so sure about that?" She said exhaling a puff of smoke. "You are forgetting something. I come from the part of your life she doesn't know about."

"She'll never buy it." He turned to walk out.

"You mean like Addison would?" She covered her mouth. "Oh, that was awfully stupid of me. Addison was last year's conquest right?"

"What did you say to Addison?" He asked.

"Nothing that your little pop tart isn't going to find out for herself soon enough. I promise you, Mark. I am not leaving until your perfect little changed man image is nothing but a bunch of tarnished, broken lies." She said putting her cigarette out and placing a hand on her hip. "You wanna walk out on me? Guess what? Payback's a bitch and I'm ready to start collecting."

Mark sighed and closed his eyes. "What do I have to do for you to stop? For you to leave me and my family alone?"

She giggled. "You're cute like this. But you're not getting it. There is no leaving anybody alone. I came to have some fun, and you can't stop what I've already started."

A second later, Melody's phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered. "Oh, hey, Lexie." She said smiling at Mark. "Coffee? You know, I'd love some. I'll meet you there."

Melody traded her sweatpants for jeans and walked towards the door.

"Don't you dare-" Mark said, standing in her way.

Melody looked up at him with a glare that made his skin crawl. "Don't tell me what to do." She said slowly, before exiting the room with a slam of the door.

Lexie stirred her coffee and took a sip, while Melody held Haley in her lap.

"I'd love to hear more about Mark, back then, I mean." She said, taking a napkin and wiping the drool off Haley's chin.

"I'm sure you've seen it all. Arrogant, brilliant, sexy as hell."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty familiar." Lexie chuckled.

"I am glad that some of his traits aren't the same any more." Melody said with a sigh.

"Like what?" Lexie asked, nibbling at her biscotti.

"He was kinda violent. I don't know if he still is, but when we were, you know, he kinda-" Melody paused.

"What?" She asked.

"I haven't told anyone." Melody began to choke up.

"It's okay. You can talk to me." Lexie said, holding her hand.

"He raped me." She spat out. "I couldn't find a way to tell anyone, but there it is. The truth.

"What?" Lexie said, baffled beyond words.

"I know. It's terrible, but he came at me one night in the on-call room and I said 'no' but I guess that didn't really work for him. He was too strong and I just couldn't fight him off." She told her.

"But why come visit him, then?"

"For closure." She explained. "Lexie, I've done a lot of things in my life and I know I deserve some karma for them, but nobody deserves that. Excuse me, I am going to go freshen up."

Melody handed Haley off to a still blatantly confused Lexie. In the bathroom, Melody wiped off the tears and began reapplying her eye makeup. She was enjoying this and she was going to make sure she wasn't cheated of one second of it. When she returned, she found an empty table. No Lexie, no Haley. Just a note that read:

_Melody, _

_Sorry I had to run. Meredith called with a family emergency so I couldn't stay. I paid for the coffee. See you soon._

_- Lex_

She slowly crushed the note in the palm of her hand, as the waiter approached from behind.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No. I'm gonna get what I came for." She muttered as he walked away confused.

She pulled out her phone and dialed 411 for information and put on her peppiest voice.

"What city and state please?" The operator asked.

"Seattle, Washington."

"Name?"

"I need the address for a Meredith Grey." She said with a sly smile.

"Mark!" Lexie called, walking in the apartment, turning around to lock the door.

"Hey, I'm here." He said hugging her, Haley sandwiched in the middle.

"Melody told me." She said. "That you raped her."

"Lexie-"

"She said that you attacked her in an on-call room, but all I could think was that the man that I know, the Mark here, he wouldn't do that." Lexie rambled feriously fast. "Right?"

"Of course I didn't." He comforted her. "She is just causing trouble. This is what she does."

"But why?" She asked. "What did I ever do to her?"

"It's not you, babe. It's me."

"I just want her gone." She said with a sigh. "If she would lie about something as heinous as rape, who knows what else she has done."

"Come here." Mark said, hugging them again. "I'm gonna fix this."

"What does she want?" She asked him.

"She wants me to pay."

"For what?" She replied as he grabbed his coat and walked to the door. "Mark, please!"

"What?" He asked.

"Don't leave us here. If she comes back here-" He cut her off with a tight hug.

"I am not going to let anything happen to you or our daughter. You are my family, Lex. I'm not gonna stand for this anymore." He headed for the door again.

"I love you." Lexie spat out.

"I love you, too." He winked at her. "Lock the door behind me, okay?"

She just nodded, clutching to Haley for dear life.

Meredith sat on her living room couch next to Melody, two cups of tea sat on the table in front of them.

"I don't understand. Are you a friend of Mark's or a friend of Lexie's?" Meredith asked.

"It's mutual."

"I see." She stirred awkwardly. "So what brings you to Seattle?"

"Let's just say I have a little bit of unfinished business." Melody answered, as Meredith's phone rang.

"Hold that thought." Meredith said. "Hello? Lexie, what's the matter? Okay, okay. I'll be right over."

"Is everything all right?" Melody asked.

"Yeah. Just some sister stuff. I am so sorry, but I have to run. Can I walk you to the door?" Meredith offered.

"That would be lovely." Melody replied. "Oh, can you give Lexie a message for me?"

"Sure."

"Tell her that I'm waiting." She said, turning to walk away.

"Waiting for what?" Meredith called out. She groaned when she didn't receive an answer. She grabbed her jacket and took off into the pouring rain.

"Who the hell is Melody?" Meredith asked, walking into Lexie and Mark's apartment, Lexie quickly locking the door behind her. Haley was quietly playing in a spot on the living room floor.

"Some psycho from Mark's past." She began to explain. "She showed up here, completely out of the blue, and now I guess she wants some kind of revenge on Mark."

"For what?" Meredith sat on the couch.

"Because he didn't have the same feelings for her I guess. Mark talked about her like she was a lover scorned or something." Lexie said.

"Scorned?"

"Yeah. She said Mark raped her." Lexie told her, covering her face with her hand.

"Are you kidding?" Meredith asked in shock. "He didn't, did he?"

"God, no!" She replied, appalled that Meredith would even ask.

"Okay, sorry." She sighed. "What is he going to do?"

"He said he was going to fix it."

"How?" She pushed.

"I don't know." Lexie answered. "I just hope he does it fast."

Mark barged into Melody's open hotel room door.

"How far are you going to take this, Mel?" He shouted.

"Keep your voice down." She answered. "I have neighbors here."

"Do you honestly think I give a damn what anybody thinks about you?" Mark continued.

"What about what people think about you?" She asked. "I'm guessing by the note that was left, that your little jailbait wife is sticking by your side?"

"I told you she would." He scoffed. "Go home."

"I have no home, Mark! You made sure of that!" She spat.

"How long are you going to blame your problems on everybody else?" Mark replied. "If you are without a home to go to, it's by your own doing."

"I won't let you say no to me!" She yelled as Mark turned his back, causing him to turn around and walk back toward her and pushing her against the wall.

"Leave." He whispered to her, angrily. "I don't want to see you here again and if you try to contact me or my wife again, I will make sure you get put away like the nutjob you are, do you understand?"

She shook him loose.

"Threats are not your forte, honeybun." She coughed lightly. "That kinda turned me on."

"What do you want from me?" He asked, exasperated.

"I forgot. You were never the best when it came to common sense." She laughed as she laid on the bed. "I want you, Mark, and that Lexie girl doesn't exactly seem like the sharing type...which is fine, because neither am I."

She got up and walked to face him, reaching out and storking his jawline.

"I think you remember that about me." She said, as he slapped her hand away. "Oooh. Feisty. I like that in a man."

"Melody-"

"Why don't you go home, get some sleep, and think about what exactly it is I am capable of?"

"Which would be?" He pressed.

"I can make your life a living hell and the funny part is I won't think twice about it. Plus, I'll be sure to take down that princess of yours, too." She promised with a smile.

"You really are an evil, twisted bitch." Mark told her.

"Save the sweet talk for Lexie." She opened the door for him. "I trust I'll be hearing from you soon."

"Don't count on it." He said, storming out.

"I didn't want to play it this way." She mumbled to herself.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this latest installment. I find Melody's bitchiness and attitude to be just way too much fun to write for which means she might stick around for a little bit. Anyway, remember that reviews make me smile. Love, Peace, and Grey's!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Got some big stuff planned for this chapter. So, diving right into it, folks! ENJOY! And once again, thank you for all the tremendous support. **

Lexie sat on the couch nervously playing with a stray piece of thread on one of the throw pillows. Mark hadn't come home or called and she couldn't help but think the worst. She jumped when she heard Haley start to cry from the opposite room. Meredith walked out to the living room a moment later.

"My pager scared her. I have to run to the hospital. 911." She said, handing her niece off to her baby sister.

"Okay." Lexie said, holding Haley close. "Thanks for staying with me."

"Anytime." Meredith smiled. "Call me later?"

Lexie nodded in reciprocation.

"Daddy should be home soon." She said as she sat with her daughter. "What should we do until then? Hmm?"

"Mama."

"Hales?"

"Mama."

"Oh, my-" She started to laugh. "You said 'mama'! Finally. Come here, baby."

She turned Haley to face her.

"Say it again?"

"Mama."

She brought her into a tight hug placing kisses on her.

"Yeah. I'm your mama." She said with a smile.

A short moment later, there was a knock on the door. Placing Haley in the play pen, she got up and dragged herself to the door. She sighed with exasperation when she found Melody standing on the other side. She immediately tried to slam the door.

"Just hear me out, okay." Melody said, stopping the door with her foot.

"What? What do you have to say? You have done nothing but make our lives worse since you got here."

"Look." Melody sighed. "I was jealous, okay? Mark and I were in love. Or at least I was in love with him, which I am sure you know what that feels like. It's pretty damn great."

"Yeah, it is." Lexie said with a grin.

"I didn't want to let it go. When Mark left New York to follow Derek and Addy, he left me. I was mad and hurt and disgusted beyond belief that he would throw what we had down the drain like that. I was wrong." She explained. "I shouldn't have told you that he tried to rape me. It was the biggest load of crap I've fed anyone."

"So why did you come to Seattle?" Lexie asked.

"Mark asked me to." Melody answered. "He called me a while ago. He said he was feeling lost and felt like he was missing something."

"What?"

"Yeah. He asked if I would fly down if he bought the ticket and then here I was." She finished.

"So, he brought you here." Lexie clarified.

"He didn't exactly expect me quite like this, but yeah, essentially, that's what happened." She shrugged. "I'm sorry. I thought you should know. Oh, yeah. Sorry about your baby."

Melody turned and walked to the elevator, disappearing behind the sliding doors. Lexie wandered back inside, sitting gently on the couch. She couldn't believe that Mark could play the victim when he was responsible for Melody's arrival in the first place. The worst part, was that she knew about the baby. The baby that Lexie had lost. She couldn't open up to anyone, including Mark, about that. Yet, he freely discussed it with his blonde ex-lover. She felt hurt, betrayed, and humiliated. All she could do was stare at the floor in silence.

Mark walked through the lobby, noticing Melody exiting the elevator.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, pulling her by the arm.

"I'm leaving, okay?" she said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I booked a flight tonight, but I wanted to make sure Lexie knew the truth."

"The truth?"

"About everything. Why I'm here, what we were, all of it."

"You told her! We had a deal!" He started to raise his voice.

"You told me you wanted me, then I get here and you act like I am invading your life. You can't call me here and then treat me like a leper." She shot back.

"I called you when my marriage was on the rocks." He explained. "You showed up after we made it work. I told you not to come."

"Truth is, you screwed up, babycakes." She started to walk away. "Good luck fixing what you wrecked."

Mark sighed and headed for the elevator, dreading walking through his front door. When he walked inside, he wasn't greeted with shouting like he'd expected, but instead, he found an almost catatonic Lexie on the couch.

"Lex?" He said, softly, sitting next to her.

"She talked to me." She said simply. "She said you called her a while ago? How long was a while?"

"Right after we lost the baby."

"Right after _I_ lost the baby." She corrected. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it wasn't important." He told her.

"It wasn't important?" She looked at him, lost. "You told her things that I could have never said to anyone, even Mer. You told her you were missing something."

"I was missing you!" He said strongly.

"I don't think so. How could you hide this from me?" She asked. "How could you lie to me, again, especially after the whole Josh thing?"

Mark sat in silence.

"I think we need to take some time apart." She said with a sigh.

"Lexie-"

"I want a separation, Mark." She looked at him. "I am not saying divorce, I am saying separation. I think it is for the best."

"What about Haley?" He asked.

"You can see her anytime, and you can have weekends, if you want."

"Please don't do this." He looked at her, pleading.

"I don't want to fight, and lately, that is all we do." Lexie explained. "Tomorrow, I'll go."

She gently placed a kiss on his forehead before walking into Haley's room and closing the door behind her. Behind the closed door she could hear Mark get up and start to pace, she heard him punch the wall and mutter something under his breath. It killed her to do this, but how much of the lying, the hiding information, and the secrets, could she take? Everytime they reached a rough patch, something ripped the rug out from under them. Maybe the gods were trying to tell them something.

**Sorry this chapter was so short, but I wanted to get an update out there. The next chapter is going to involve a time jump, so get ready for some fun stuff. With Haley being a little older, I can finally start writing a little bit of dialougue for her, yay! Stay tuned, guys! X0X0**


	48. Chapter 48

**Here we go again. This chapter will include a bit of a time jump, because I feel like I don't wanna drag out the dull part of the storyline, so...here we go!**

_10 Months Later..._

Mark opened his apartment door to a smiling Lexie, holding his two and a half year old daughter's hand.

"Daddy!" Haley cried, jumping in his arms.

"There's my girl." He chimed in, kissing her and hugging her fiercely. "Come on in." He said to Lexie.

"I brought her a change of clothes and some of her DVDs so that she won't be your hair the whole weekend." She told him, placing Haley's Tinker Bell backpack on the couch.

"Are you in my hair?" Mark asked the little girl in his arms.

"Nah." Haley said.

"Okay, monkey. Give Mommy a kiss goodbye, okay?" Lexie giggled.

"Okay." Haley chirped, hopping down and running over to her, throwing her little arms around her mother's neck.

"Hey, where's my kiss?" Lexie asked, causing Haley to come running back and blow a raspberry on her cheek. "I guess you should be careful what you ask for, huh?" She laughed.

"Why don't you head on into your room and I'll be in there in a few seconds, okay, munchkin?" Mark asked, crouched down looking her in the eye.

Haley sighed, "Fine."

Mark stood up and looked at Lexie who was shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." She said, placing a smile on her face. She paused for a few seconds and tried again. "So, how are things with...um...what's her name?"

"Shannen." Mark replied.

"Right, Shannen." She giggled nervously. "Are you guys happy?"

"So far." He answered. "And you and Aiden?"

"Good." She replied. "I'm actually late for lunch with him, so..."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you Sunday night?"

"Yep. I'll be here."

Lexie turned around and left as quickly as humanly possible. They were both dating other people, wedding bands were off, and the assets had been divided, but there was no denying the magnetic pull that was still there everytime she found herself in a room with him. Shannen Fitzgerald was an incredibly nice girl, she worked at the hospital as a Plastics scrub nurse. Everyone seemed to like her fine, including Lexie. She couldn't bring herself to hate the girl that was making Mark smile in her absence. Aiden Williams was a sweet, easy-going, and respectable guy she met through a friend at Haley's daycare center. He was a practicing children's dentist at a small office in Seattle and Lexie adored him. Not only did he make her swoon and treated her like a queen, he made sure he treated Haley with the same amount of tender care. Mark seemed to physically tense up when anybody brought Aiden up and everyone knew the whole situation was difficult. They just hoped it would get easier with time.

Lexie headed back to Meredith's after dropping Haley off with Mark.

"Hey you." She said, walking in the kitchen, tossing her purse on the counter with a sigh.

"Wow." Meredith replied, looking at her strangely. "That's quite a face you have on. You look terrible."

"I look the way I feel, Sherlock." She said, grabbing a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"Oh. It's Friday. Did you take Haley-bug to Mark?"

"Yep." She took a sip. "And it was just as uncomfortable as always."

"I see."

"I don't get it. It has been months, shouldn't it be easier to see each other and be in the same room without having to count the tiles on the linoleum?" Lexie asked.

"It should be." She replied. "But not when you're Mark and Lexie."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nevermind." Meredith said.

"Come on. What do you mean?" Lexie pressed.

"Nothing. Just forget I said anything."

"Meredith!" Lexie smacked the counter with her hand.

"I just mean that, look at you two. You have literally been to hell and back. I just honestly don't think that you are over each other. I don't think you ever will be."

"We are over each other." She scoffed.

"Have you seen the way he looks at you?" Meredith asked her.

"Like a loving friend?"

"Like he wants to do certain things I can't talk about in front of Haley and Zola. Lexie he wants you...badly. You cannot be that oblivious to it, can you?"

"I'm not...I'm not talking about this with you."

"Lex-" Meredith tried.

"No. I'm going to take a nap. I'll see you for dinner."

"Nice work, Meredith. Way to go."

Shortly after crashing on her bed in the attic, Lexie's cell phone buzzed from her purse. After what felt like an eternity of digging through her black hole of a purse, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey." The voice answered back.

"Aiden. How are you?"

"I'm better now." He told her. "Are we still on for the spa this weekend?"

"Oh." She told him. "I actually can't. I forgot that I have a craniotomy scheduled tomorrow and I can't really back out."

"That's okay. We can reschedule." He reassured her. "How is that perfect angel of yours?"

"With her father." She told him. "Every weekend, remember?"

"Right. Right. Well, I have a patient to see, I'll call you later?"

"Absolutely." She answered.

"Bye, gorgeous."

"Bye."

She flopped on her back and sighed. Why couldn't anything in her life ever just be simple?

"Torres." Mark greeted Callie at his door, Haley running behind him with a stuffed Elmo.

"Haley cakes!" Callie chirped.

"Auntie Callie!" Haley cheered, hugging her leg.

"How my favorite little girl?" she asked her.

"Big girl." Haley corrected, causing Mark to arch his eyebrow. "I'm this many." She said showing her two fingers.

"Oh. I see." Callie answered as Haley ran away, continuing her game.

"How are you?" She said, turning around to face Mark. "I know it's Friday and every week, you go through the same stuff."

"She came and went, just like always."

"Did she say anything to you?" She asked.

"She asked about Shannen." He told her. "I told her we were fine."

"So you lied?" Callie laughed. "You haven't told her that you guys broke up?"

"What would it change, Callie?"

"A lot. You could tell her how you feel, you could let her know." She said.

"She knows, Callie. She's always known." He explained. "Besides, I am not going to do that to her when she is happy with her boyfriend."

"Ooh, boyfriend. We'll see how long that lasts." She told him.

"What have you heard?" He inquired.

"Nothing." She told him. "I just know how she looks at you. You know it, too. You might recognize it from the mirror."

"I'm just tired of the fight. I feel like we are always fighting, but nothing ever gets accomplished. We always end up back here, miserable and alone." He sighed to Callie.

"It doesn't have to be that way." She pointed out. "Get her alone. Talk to her, but ease into it, don't bombard her entirely."

"I'll think about it." Mark said.

"That's what I want to hear." She patted him on the shoulder. "I got to run. See you soon?"

"Of course."

"Bye, Haleycakes!" She called to the little girl sitting at the table, waving with a mouth full of Goldfish. Callie laughed and walked out the door.

"There's someone here to see you." Meredith softly spoke, poking her head into Lexie's attic bedroom.

"Tell them I don't exist." She muttered, pulling the pillow over her face.

"But I can see you." She heard a man's voice come from the door, causing her to sit straight up.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as Meredith walked away, leaving the couple in silence, while he lightly sat down on the bed.

"I wanted to talk to you. I miss you, you know?" Aiden smiled, placing his finger under her chin and pulling her face up to his for a small kiss.

"I miss you too." Lexie responded, pulling him in a hug.

"So what's the matter? Why the long face?" He asked gently.

"I miss her. I miss my little troublemaker." She giggled. "I always get like this on Fridays."

"Why is it that you're not with her father anymore?" Aiden asked.

"Ummm...just...reasons." She got up and walked to her dresser. "Normal reasons. Why?"

"You just seem so uncomfortable around him. Was he abusive at all? Physically? Emotionally?" He continued.

"Whoa. Stop right there. Mark never mistreated me. We broke up, because it was what best at the time. Why that was best, is strictly between Mark and I. Don't go making up things."

"I'm sorry, babe." He walked over to her. "You just never tell me anything about it and if we are going to be picking up Haley every Sunday from his place, then-"

"I never asked you to pick up Haley, or go with me. I have always done that myself." She protested.

"I know. That's what worries me." Aiden said, turning away.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lexie pushed.

"You know what it means." He replied. "If you still love him, just tell me."

"How did we even get into this argument?" She asked, shocked and confused. "I will always love him. He is the father of my child. I can't turn that off. But if that alone makes you this insecure, then I'm not so sure we should be in this relationship."

"Are you joking?" Aiden asked, clearly pissed.

"No, I'm not. This isn't the first time you lashed out at me about Mark, but I am sure it will be the last." She said definitively.

"Fine." He said storming out.

After she heard the front door slam, she sank to the floor and began to sob. A few minutes later, Meredith stood in the doorway, slowly inching into the room.

"Honey?"

"Mer?" She looked up. "I miss him."

"Aiden will be back. He won't let you go that easy." Meredith said, sitting next to her and pulling her close to stroke her hair.

"Not Aiden." Lexie sniffled. "Aiden was like a Band-Aid. A temporary fix."

"Oh, I know who you are talking about."

"Aiden always made me feel inferior." Lexie shared.

"How?" Meredith asked.

"He was just so good at everything. A perfect dresser, a perfect dentist, a perfect driver. I just felt a little imperfect around him." She told her sister.

"But with Mark..."

"I felt like I was imperfect, but it was the imperfections that he seemed to love the most." She said, looking down.

"Do something about it, then." Meredith said.

"I can't." She answered. "No matter how badly I want to, it's just time to move on. I mean, Mark has, so I need to, also."

"If that's what you need." Meredith consoled. "I just want you happy, sweetie. I love you, you know?"

"Yeah." She wiped her eyes. "I love you. Can we just sit here for a while?"

"As long as you want."

The weekend came and went as quickly as usual and Sunday night Lexie found herself driving to Mark's like she had every weekend before, butterflies in her stomach and all. She knew in her heart, she couldn't turn off the feelings she had, and she wasn't going to get anywhere trying to hide them. However, at the same time she knew that Mark had a girlfriend, a girlfriend that she couldn't hate. Letting go hurt the worst, but she knew the longer she held on, the worse it would kill her later. She slowly walked the hallway to Mark's apartment door and knocked lightly, sighing while she waited for the door to open.

"Hey." Mark greeted, stepping aside to let her in.

"Hey." She responded. "I'm here to relieve you."

"She's not a problem at all." He chuckled.

"Haley!" Lexie called. "It's time to go, honey."

The tiny brunette came running from her room with a huge smile and a teddy bear in hand. Lexie picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"Are you ready, munchkin?" Lexie asked.

"I don't wanna." She pouted.

"I know, sweetie, but we have to, okay? You'll be back next week." She tried.

"No!" Haley yelled, pulling herself away until Lexie let her down. She ran behind Mark's leg and held on tightly.

"Come on, sweetheart. You've got to go." Mark coaxed.

"No." She said, starting to whimper. "I stay."

"Haley." His voice grew stern. "Do not do this."

"No." She continued.

Mark looked over and saw Lexie begin to break down.

"Lex? Are you okay?" He asked, turning his attention to Lexie, starting to tear up by the door.

"I did this to her." She told him. "I am the reason she is becoming so messed up."

"What?" He looked down to Haley. "Why don't you go play with your toys for a few minutes, okay?"

"I left. I left and I took her away and I didn't even give it a second thought." She went on. "She loves you...fiercely. I hate having to take her away from that week after week and me having to do that is my fault."

"Sit down." He told her, pulling her to the couch. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

Haley moved to the opposite side of the room, distracted by toys.

"Nothing. It's nothing." She said, with a small laugh. "I'm just a emotional mess here lately."

"Is it Aiden?" He tiptoed, carefully.

"Aiden." She sighed. "No. Aiden is not the problem...anymore. I dumped him a couple days ago."

"I'm sorry." Mark said, touching her wrist, causing her to flinch and her breath to catch slightly. " I know he meant a lot to you."

"Not really." Lexie shared honestly. "I thought he could, eventually, but we just never seemed to get there. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess."

"Kinda like us, huh?" Mark said with a shrug.

"Nah." She smiled back. "You and I were always different. We had to be. How else would we have made that miracle happen?" She pointed to the little girl with the boucing brown curls and peircing blue eyes, who was diligently feeding a baby doll her bottle.

"She's definately the best thing I ever did." He said with a grin. "She's one of the girls that makes my world stop."

"Speaking of you world stopping." Lexie moved on. "I hear you and Shannen are getting pretty serious. Have you thought about taking the next step?" She arched her eyebrow and nudged him playfully like a friend would.

"Actually, Shannen and I-"

"Ugh! You're right." Lexie cut him off. "It's none of my business."

Lexie's pager began to beep, interrupting Mark's next sentence.

"It's Derek. 911 on my patient." She said, standing up and grabbing her purse. "Is there any way you can-"

"Haley can stay here." Mark finished for her.

"Thank you so much." She said, walking to Haley and kneeling down to hug her. "I'm gonna see you soon, princess. I love you."

"Love you, Mommy." Haley answered, waving to her as she walked out the door.

All Mark could do was sit on the couch and kick himself. This is the life he created for himself? He had to fix it.

**I hope you guys are enjoying this new direction. It is so much fun to finally get to write some dialogue for Haley. I am mainly using sentences that my two-year-old little sister has been heard saying. Anyway, review please, because I love them so. Until mext time, guys! XOXO**


	49. Chapter 49

**Hey guys! Writing this story has been so fun lately, that I just can't seem to make myself stop. Plus, I was watching Charmed and saw Eric Dane as Phoebe's boyfriend, Jason. I squealed like an idiot and had to get back to my story. Here you go!**

"Hey, there you are." Derek stopped Lexie as she exited the resident's lounge, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. "Mr. Anderson has some severe cerebral swelling so we need to get him to CT immediately and if I'm right, we need to schedule a second craniotomy."

"Okay." Lexie said, rushing to match his pace as they walked to CT.

The pair sat in awkward silence in the CT booth for about five minutes before Derek decided to break it.

"So what were you up to tonight?" He tapped a few keys on the keyboard. "Before you got sucked into this, I mean."

"I was attempting to pick up Haley from Mark's." She answered, scribbling something on the chart.

"What do you mean attempting?" Derek asked.

"Oh, my daughter didn't want to come home with me." Lexie told him. "She practically fought me tooth and nail."

"Wow."

"I swear, I see so much of myself in that child sometimes that it almost terrifies me." Lexie sighed. "Why can't she just stay like she was when I brought her home from the hospital? All smooshy and adorable. Not to mention, she loved me then."

"She loves you." Derek chuckled. "She just loves her daddy too. She doesn't quite understand the...situation."

"What was with the pause?"

"What pause?"

"I know. I know the situation is ridiculous, but I don't know what to do here, Derek. I'm at a loss." She explained.

"What is your first instinct?" He asked, focusing on her.

"My head says 'let him go' but my heart says 'fight like hell to get him back'."Lexie shrugged.

"Who do you wanna listen to?" Derek responded.

"Listening to your head isn't always right and listening to your heart isn't always smart. I don't know." She sighed. "See what I mean?"

"Well, Mark isn't going to stop loving you." He told her. "Trust me, I know that guy better than anyone and those feelings...they aren't going anywhere anytime soon."

"I bet Shannen loves that." She scoffed.

"Shannen?" Derek looked lost.

"Yeah. Mark's girlfriend." Lexie clarified.

"Right." He quickly recovered. "Right. Shannen. Sorry."

Lexie tossed her pen on the counter and sighed as Derek hit the intercom button.

"Alright, Mr. Anderson. We are pulling you out now."

_Two Hours Later..._

"Dr. Shepherd?"

"Yes, Lexie." He said, through a half mouth full of granola bar.

"Mr. Anderson's um... his um... CT results are back." She stuttered.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked cautiously.

"Yeah." Lexie shook it off. "Um...he has a new bleed...um...a subdural."

"Lexie, you don't look too good."

"I'm just a little woozy." She explained. "I'm fine. I booked an OR and they are prepping now."

"Okay." He replied. "Go ahead and scrub in, I'll meet you there."

"Thanks."

The OR had been quiet aside from the expected beeping and whirring of monitors and machines.

"What are Mr. Anderson's chances of intercranial pressure post-op?" Derek asked.

"I'd say slim, we seem to have gotten the bleeding under control and I don't see any other bleeders, so I think he could be just fine." Lexie assessed.

"Very good, Dr. Grey." He replied. "Why don't you close up for me?"

"Really?"

"Yeah." He told her. "I think you got it."

"Thanks...um..." Lexie sighed, her hand going directly to her forehead. "Derek?"

"Yeah." He turned around to look at her before exiting.

"I don't feel so..." Before Lexie could finish she collapsed on the OR floor.

"Lexie!" Derek rushed to her side. "Page Dr. Hunt and Dr. Grey now!"

"What about Mr. Anderson?" The nurse asked.

"Get Nelson in here to close. Just keep him alive till he gets here."

The nurse nodded in compliance and ran directly to the phone, punching in various numbers. Derek picked Lexie up, immediately taking her to the ER.

"What the hell happened now?" Bailey shot as she rushed over to a gurney that Derek placed Lexie.

"I don't know. She just collapsed." He began to explain. "She was acting weird earlier too."

"Weird, how?" She asked.

"I don't know. Dehydrated, maybe. I have to call Meredith."

Bailey waved a hand at him while listening to her stethoscope. A moment later, Lexie's eyes began to flutter open.

"Ouch." She muttered, in a groan, as she started to get up. "What happened?"

"What?" Bailey started. "Sit your butt down. We don't know what happened yet, but you are gonna sit here and wait until we do."

"I have to get-"

"You have to get nothing." Bailey cut her off. "You will do nothing, you will not get up, you will not make any sudden movements. You will sit here and wait until we find out what is wrong with you and you are not leaving here until we do!"

"Okay." Lexie said, mixed with fear and surprise. As Derek came back, Bailey walked away. "I just felt the wrath of Bailey." She told him.

"We've all been there." He chuckled. "Hang in there, champ. Meredith is on her way."

"What about Haley?" She asked him. "Mark was supposed to drop her off at the house tonight."

"Taken care of. Callie is going to watch her until I pick her up after my shift in an hour." He reassured her.

"I promise you, I am fine." Lexie tried again. "I really don't need this."

She started to take off her blood pressure coff and removing wires from her chest.

"Grey!" She heard Bailey yell from across the room. "What did I say?"

Lexie froze and slowly started to put the wires back.

_An Hour Later..._

"Meredith still isn't here?" Derek asked, dressed in his clothes, ready to go home.

"She went to the restroom." Lexie answered. "Can you take her home with you, please?"

"Why?"

"Her worrying is stressing me out." She told him. "I can't take it. Please."

"You promise to call if you find out anything?" He looked at her, skeptically.

"Promise." She answered, holding up a hand.

"Okay."

After a short argument, Derek managed to get Meredith to agree to go with him to pick up Haley and go back to the house, to give Lexie air and a break from the tension. She was sitting in the gurney, waiting for anyone to tell her she was fine and could go home.

"Can I go now?" Lexie called to Bailey at the admit desk.

"I don't want to hear it, Grey." She answered.

She sighed in exasperation and closed her eyes, trying to relax.

"What happened to you?" She heard from across the room. She knew the voice, but didn't open her eyes in hope that it was not real.

"I'm not here. Go away." She muttered.

"What?" The voice said.

"Mark." Lexie greeted, opening her eyes.

"What happened, Lex?" He asked her again.

"I had a minor incident." She answered, shrugging it off.

"Minor? You fainted in the middle of the OR." Bailey added from behind Mark. She looked at up at the man towering over her. "Get out of my way."

"You fainted?" Mark confirmed.

"It's like I said. Minor." She tried.

"Are you kidding me, Lexie?" He added, exasperated.

"Oh, my god. Somebody, please kill me now." Lexie muttered.

"Severe dehydration." Bailey told her. "You should know better."

Lexie just nodded while Bailey continued.

"Go home, get some rest, do not come back here for at least two days, and drink some damn water." She finished, before walking away.

"Great. So I can go." She started taking her wires off.

"Yeah. Get out of here." Bailey answered, handing her discharge papers.

Lexie grabbed her sneakers and started to loosen the shoelaces. A few awkward moments passed before she noticed Mark staring at her.

"What?" She asked. "Don't you have a shift starting about now?"

"No." Mark answered. "I'm taking you home."

"Relax. I'm dehydrated, I'm not dying." She laughed.

"This could have been serious." He explained. "Why haven't you been taking better care of yourself?"

"Let's see." Lexie sighed. "I have a career, a needy sister, household chores, and a social life, all in addition to raising a small child."

"I know." Mark sighed. "But I also know that you won't slow down unless someone makes you slow down."

"You don't know that." Lexie shook her head.

"Yes, I do." He answered. "Because I know you. Let's go."

Lexie threw the front door open and walked inside, looking left and right.

"Meredith!" She called. "For the love of God, please be home!"

"Yeah. What's wrong?" Meredith came from the kitchen, holding a cookie.

"I was just giving you suggestions." Mark added, following her inside, closing the door behind him.

"You were being annoying." Lexie shot back. "You act like I asked for this."

"Well, you didn't exactly prevent it, did you?"

Before Lexie could say anything Meredith stepped in.

"Okay!" She started. "What the hell is going on?"

"Dehydration." Lexie stated simply. "And Mark won't stop fathering me over it."

"Lexie." Meredith said. "What happened? I thought you were taking care of yourself."

"I was...I mean, I am!" She tried. "Meredith."

"Hey, if he wants to take care of you I can't really do anything." She explained. "He's 6 feet tall. He can take me."

Lexie just groaned before heading up the stairs. Leaving Mark and Meredith in the foyer. Meredith smiled at Mark.

"I'm giving you your in. Don't screw it up." She said, patting him on the back.

"Thanks." He answered, hanging his coat by the door.

"I'll bring up some water."

**I know this was a little shorter, but I am glad to have at least finished the update. Reviews are diminishing a little, so I need to know if you guys want me to continue this story or just draw it to a close. Let me know. Thanks for all the love and support. XOXO Peace, Love, & Grey's Anatomy. **


	50. Chapter 50

**The reviews on the last chapter made me so incredibly happy. I know you have heard this before but again, you guys are AMAZING! This chapter is going to be purely Mark and Lexie. ENJOY! = ) **

Lexie laid on her bed, legs curled under her and a blanket draped over her legs. She had a bottle of water on her nightstand and the remote control in her hand. She sighed with exasperation when she heard heavy footsteps trudging up the stairs.

"Mark. You can go home. I'm fine." She tried.

"I told you no three times already." He told her. "Let it go."

Meredith and Derek were sitting up in there bed, Haley fast asleep in the middle. Derek's nose was in a surgery book and Meredith was looking at her phone. Both couldn't help but listen to the argument above them.

"Do you think they'll solve anything?" Derek asked Meredith.

"Give them some time. They'll accomplish something."

"Yeah. A migraine." He muttered, earning a playful punch on the arm.

"Don't talk to me like I'm four years old!" They heard Lexie shout, causing them to look up.

"Damn it, Lexie!" Mark shouted back.

"Ah, the sweet sounds of family." Meredith looked at Derek with a sigh as he closed his book and she turned the light off.

"What do I have to do to make you realize that I am fine?" Lexie asked Mark as he rolled out a sleeping bag that Meredith had given him.

"Enough." He said. "I'm staying here and that's the end of it."

"Mark." She sighed. "I don't want you to worry...and I don't want to put you in a position where things get...confusing."

"What are you talking about?" He laid on his stomach to look at her while she spoke.

"Where does Shannen think you are?" Lexie raised an eyebrow. "Mark?"

"There is no Shannen." He answered, bluntly.

"She doesn't exist?"

"We broke up about a month ago." He explained, concentrating on the floor.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked.

"I didn't want you to think I was trying to trap you into anything."

Lexie sighed. "By breaking up with your girlfriend?"

"I didn't want it to seem like I broke it off because of you." Mark said.

"Why did you break it off? Honestly." Lexie knew she probably shouldn't have asked.

"Honestly." He paused for a moment. "I couldn't see anything with her long-term."

"Do you see yourself having a long-term relationship with anyone?" She asked as she looked down and picked at her bedspread, causing Mark to smile a little.

"No. I don't think so." He answered.

"Why?" Lexie said, obviously upset. " You deserve a healthy stable relationship. I don't want to hate myself forever knowing that I was the one who broke you."

Mark looked at her oddly.

"I mean emotionally." She corrected. "Not the penis thing- You know what I'm trying to say!"

"I do and I appreciate it, but I can't just move on after what we had, Lex." He said, before rolling over and laying on his back. "Does Meredith ever do maintenance on these wood floors? The boards are all uneven."

"It's Meredith's." Lexie giggled. "Of course there is no maintenance going on here."

"I see." He groaned as he rolled over again, clearly trying to find a comfortable position.

Lexie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Fine. Come on." She said, moving over and patting the empty space next to her.

"I'm fine."

"Gee, where have I heard that before?" She chuckled. "Come on, the floor is awful and I feel bad enough already, so, get your ass up here."

"Okay. Yes, ma'am." He responded.

As soon as she felt his body heat next to hers, she couldn't help but flash back to the life she had before. The life when his presence next to her was so typical that after a while the feeling became numb to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Mark asked.

"Hmm?" She snapped back to reality.

"You're deep in thought." He laughed at her. "What's on your mind?"

"Can I be honest with you?" Lexie asked.

"Of course. Always."

"I was thinking about how I miss this." Lexie said. "How I miss us."

"I miss it, too." He admitted.

"I miss talking to you like this and being close to you like this." She told him, turning her head to look him in the eye.

"Lexie." He whispered, so light that she could almost feel it more than hear it.

Mark moved in, catching her lips with his and kissing her deeply. The two only parted for a tiny bit of air, before continuing, Mark ending up on top of her. Lexie opened her eyes and pushed on Mark's chest, breaking away from the kiss.

"Wait."

"What's the matter?" He inquired.

"We have to stop." Lexie stated, trying to catch her breath. "Because this is where things get confusing and I can't think when you do-"

Mark kissed her again, silencing her doubt.

"Don't think about it." He told her. "Does it feel right?"

Lexie nodded in agreement.

"Then don't think." Mark said. "Just feel it and the rest will melt away."

"But-" Lexie didn't finish her thought before Mark had taken her ability to speak away.

The next morning, Lexie awoke to Mark on his stomach next to her, shirtless. She prayed that what she thought happened, hadn't actually happened.

_Please don't be naked. _She thought to herself as she peeked under the comforter covering her.

"Oh, God!" She said, covering her face, and waking the man sleeping next to her. "Oh, no."

"What's the matter?" Mark asked, yawning.

"What's the matter?" She looked at him like he was insane. "We had sex last night."

"I know." He smirked. "It was one for the record books."

"This is not funny. We should not have done this at all."

"Why are you freaking out?" He was now confused. "It's not like we haven't had sex before. We have a kid to prove that point."

"Mark, we're separated." She tried to explain. "Separated does not include having sex with the one you are supposed to be separated from."

"What if the separation was a mistake?"

"Mark-"

"No, come on." He attempted. "You felt like this was right, too. You know it and I know it, because I felt it too. Can you honestly say that it felt wrong to you?"

"It's too complicated."

"Stop thinking about it for five seconds and just tell me what you feel." He told her, growing aggravated.

"What do you want from me?" She asked.

"Lexie, I know you love me."

"Of course I love you." Lexie went off. "If I didn't love you, I wouldnt have this problem. I wouldn't be this neurotic. I wouldn't be a wreck ninety percent of the time. I would see clearly if I didn't love you."

"Lex-"

"Do you know how much easier things would be if I could just turn off how I feel about you?" She told him. "I want you more than anyone and I love you deeply. I just feel like, right now, it's not enough, for either of us."

"Lexie-"

"Thank you for staying and keeping an eye on me, but I think I have it from here." She said, staring at the floor.

"I'll be back to check on you tonight." He told her, as he threw his clothes on.

Lexie kept her eyes clenched shut. A mixture of keeping from looking at him and keeping her tears from falling.

"I have to go check on Haley." She threw her sweats on and walked past him. "You can just let yourself out."

Mark stayed behind, closed his eyes, and sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

**I know this was a little short but I did keep the main focus on Mark and Lexie only. Meredith and Derek only got a couple lines of dialogue. Anyway, make my day an ! I love hearing your feedback! Until next time, my lovelies!**


	51. Chapter 51

**Heeey! Your reviews are making me giddy. I loved everyone's theories on the last chapter and can't wait to see your thoughts on this one. Thanks for all the support!**

"Can you page Dr. Hunt to Mrs. Sheldon's room? Her husband has some questions about the surgery?" She asked the nurse sitting at the desk, as she handed her the chart.

A second later, Meredith appeared at her side.

"What happened to you last night?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Lexie answered.

"You were barely heard from all night, and you were gone before Derek and I left this morning."

"I just wanted to get a jump on things." She began walking down the hall, Meredith quickly matching her pace. "Did Haley get to the daycare okay?"

"Yeah. Derek and I dropped her off this morning. We were going to send her in with Mark, but he was gone early too." Meredith slowly connected the dots. "Did something happen with you two?"

Lexie scoffed. "No."

"Lexie." Meredith looked at her determined.

"Fine. Come here." She sighed, pulling Meredith into a nearby supply closet.

"What is going on?"

"I made and uh-oh." Lexie said.

"An uh-oh?" Meredith repeated. "Oh, my God, you didn't. You slept with Mark?"

"Shhhh!"

"Don't shush me Lexie. I thought you guys were just going to talk."

"We were." Lexie defended herself. "And then at some point, actions began to speak louder than words."

"What happened?" Meredith asked, clearly concerned.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. Everything happened so fast, that it was kind of a blur, you know?" Lexie covered her face with her hands. "I screwed up, Mer. I screwed up so bad."

"Maybe not." She tried to console her. "You love him, right? So maybe it's okay. Maybe you get a free pass on this one."

"Are you joking?" Lexie looked at the floor. "He is not going to let this go. He is going to fight harder now and I can't get pulled back in."

"Pulled back in..." Meredith fished.

"To his life!" She threw her hands in the air to make a point.

"Lexie...is that really such a bad place to be?" She looked at her little sister. "Hmm?"

"No." Lexie bit her bottom lip. "But it hurts like hell when I get pushed out."

"Come here." Meredith pulled Lexie into a hug. "You're gonna get through this...you pathetic, train wreck of a child."

"Shut up." Lexie laughed.

After her surgery with Owen, Lexie grabbed a coffee from the coffee cart and took her charts to a quiet on-call room on the third floor. She liked the quiet part of her day filled with paperwork. It was her way to relax and unwind without actually having to leave work and join her pathetic life at home. She put on her iPod and sipped at her coffee while she jotted her post-op notes. She became so lost in the music that she didn't even here the door open.

"Hey." Mark said, to an oblivious Lexie, who was bobbing her head with the music. "Lexie." He tried again. He found her so cute when she listened to music.

He walked over a lightly tapped her shoulder, causing her to nearly ump out of her skin.

"Mark." She said, pulling out one of her earbuds. "Sorry, um...here, you can have the room."

She grabbed her charts and tried to make her way to the door. Mark, however, had other ideas.

"Are we going to talk about last night?" He asked her. She didn't even look at him. "Last night was-"

"Stupid." She cut him off. "It was stupid and reckless and we shouldn't have let ourselves get carried away. We should have shown more self-control."

"What was so stupid about it?" He seemed baffled. "I love you. You love me. All we did was make love."

"I don't wanna keep doing this."

"What?"

"This!" She gestured between them. "Arguing about what's wrong or right or acceptable. I am trying so hard to keep my composure and not fall apart in front of you. I can't think straight when it comes to you."

"Talk to me, then. What is it?" He sat on a bed across from her.

"I can't." Lexie looked at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. "I start to talk to you and then I get lost in you. You kiss me and then things get complicated and messy. I just want to save myself the aggravation."

"Lexie-"

"I love you." She blurted out. "And I can't stop. I don't know how. I can't make myself learn to stop loving you."

"Baby." He took her hand in his. "I don't want you to learn to stop loving me. My heart couldn't take it."

"But I can't just forget everything." Lexie told him. "At what point do the benefits start to outweigh the shortcomings?"

"At the point where you let me make i up to you."

"Don't you ever get tired of trying? Tired of fighting?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Not for you." Mark smiled. "I'd give my life for you."

"Mark-"

"No. I'm serious." He told her. "I want you to understand what I am saying here."

Lexie's pager began to beep.

"I have to go." She told him. "Hunt is paging me 911."

"Lexie, we have to talk."

"No." She told him. "I _have _to work, and so do you. So let's do that and just worry about the rest later."

"When is later?" He said, exasperated.

"I don't know, Mark. I don't know."

"Lexie, please." She closed the door behind her before he could finish, causing Mark to hit the wall in frustration.

Meanwhile, Lexie walked to Mrs. Sheldon's room to do her mandatory post-op workup.

"Hello." She greeted her patient with a smile. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Sheldon."

"Oh, please, dear. Call me Cindy." She smiled back. "I feel sore."

"That's to be expected." Lexie pulled out her stethoscope and listened to her breathing. "Are you keeping down clear fluids?"

"Yes." Cindy responded.

"Great. And no bleeding from the incision?"

"No. Doug has been taking good care of me since you brought me back down." She giggled, as she grabbed her husband's hand.

"Well, everything looks good." Lexie told her as she jotted some notes in her chart. "I am going to have Dr. Hunt come in after a while and take a second look, but I think you might be out of here in no time."

"Oh, thank you so much, sweetheart."

"You're so welcome."

Lexie walked out to the nurses' station and handed the chart over the desk.

"Can you have Dr. Hunt paged for Mrs. Sheldon?"

"Emergency?" The nurse asked.

"No. Just a post-op workup, so she can be discharged soon. I think she could be cleared, but I need the attending's approval." Lexie explained.

"Okay, I will let him know."

"Okay, great. Then I am heading out for the night."

"Have a good night, Dr. Grey." The nurse smiled.

Lexie walked down to the daycare where her little girl sat on the floor, building with blocks.

"Hey, monkey." She greeted, causing Haley to turn around.

"Mommy!" Haley ran directly to Lexie, locking her arms around her neck.

"Did you have fun?" She asked her smiling daughter.

"Mm-hm" Haley said. "I saw Daddy."

"Did you?"

"I like him." She told her, before laying her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I know, baby." Lexie rubbed circles on Haley's back as she took her to the car.

Walking through the parking lot, Lexie heard a voice behind her.

"Lex, wait. Let me help you." Mark tried.

"I've got it." She said, without turning around, Haley was now fast asleep on her shoulder.

"You can't unlock your door with your bags and a little girls in your arms." He pointed out.

"Mark, I said I have it." She protested. "I can handle it. I have been doing it for months."

"You didn't have to be."

Lexie slowly placed Haley in the car, cautious as to not wake her up. She buckled her in and lightly closed the car door, before responding to Mark's last comment.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked. "That I somehow asked for this?"

"Lexie, you didn't have to leave." He told her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And you didn't have to call your ex-intern and ask her to come to Seattle, either, so I guess we're even." She said, attempting to get in the car.

"Damn it." He sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "I was upset and I did something stupid. I regret it, Lex. I truely do."

"Unfortunately, stupid seems to be happening pretty often for us." She looked at the ground. "Look, I don't want to fight about this. You and I screwed up last night. We are supposed to be taking time apart, to clear our heads, and having sex with you just made things alot more foggy."

"What do you mean?"

"I am so confused, Mark." She laughed in exasperation. "I had finally found some solid ground and then you happened, last night, and now I can barely think straight."

Mark moved closer to her. "Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Love, I mean."

Lexie nervously chuckled before finding her footing again. "No. I have to be definitive in my decision. No." She brushed her hair from her face with a look of determination.

"Lex." He placed his hand on her wrist and pulled her closer.

"Stop." She said weakly. "I can't..."

"Shhhh" He whispered, before kissing her softly.

After the kiss broke, Lexie's eyes remained closed for a minute as Mark looked at her with amusement.

"That is not..." She said slowly.

"What?" Mark whispered, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I...umm...what?" Lexie said, confused. "Sorry. I lost my train of thought."

Mark just laughed at her. Haley began to stir in the car, causing Lexie to turn around before turning back to Mark.

"I have to get her home." She said, with a small smile.

"Okay." He whispered, lightly stroking her cheek. "Can I call you, so we can talk about some things?"

"Ummm...okay." Lexie paused. "Yeah...um...call me tomorrow."

"Drive safe."

"Yeah." She told him, trying to shake off everything that he had just done to her.

Lexie was doing everything she could to be strong, but Mark was the kind of guy who could knock her over with a feather and she felt herself beginning to lose her resistance.

"Oh, no." She muttered as she drove home. "What am I getting myself into?"

**I hope you guys enjoyed this installment. I am trying to take it a little slow, instead of just throwing them back together. Anyway, review please, and leave any thoughts on what you might like to see next in the story. Love you all. Peace, Love, and Grey's Anatomy.**


	52. Chapter 52

**Hey guys! Sorry this update has taken a little longer. My computer crashed and caused a little bit of a slight delay on this chapter. Nonetheless, I assume that you have all heard the sad news of Eric Dane leaving Grey's Anatomy. I think this will be good, consdering we no longer have Lexie and Chyler Leigh. Makes sense. I would love to hear your thoughts. Moving on... ENJOY!**

Lexie laid in bed with one arm behind her head, staring straight at the ceiling, deep in thought. Her daughter laid next to her, mimicking her position.

"Mommy?" She said, snapping Lexie back to reality. "I'm hungry."

"You want some breakfast?" Lexie asked her miniature clone. "What do you want to eat?"

"Pizza!" Haley said with a huge grin.

"Pizza?" Lexie asked with a giggle as she climbed out of bed. "What is wrong with you?"

"Hey short stuff." Meredith appeared in the doorway. "You want some pancakes?"

"Yeah!" Haley cheered running to her aunt, as Lexie's phone began to ring.

"Okay." Meredith smiled. "Why don't you go help Uncle Derek finish the batter?"

"Uncle Derek!" The small child cried, running down the hall.

Lexie grabbed her phone and looked at her sister.

"I'll be down in a minute." She said, Meredith nodding in reciprocation before heading downstairs.

"Hello?" Lexie spoke into her cell phone.

"Hey." Mark responded. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." She answered, pulling on a pair of ripped jeans under the ratty t-shirt she had slept in. Even over the phone, she felt Mark could tell. "I just woke up a little while ago and now Haley is downstairs making pancakes with Derek and Mer."

"Sounds nice." He paused. "So the other night..."

"The other night was..." Lexie just laughed nervously.

"I don't think it was a mistake, Lex." He began. "I know you do, but I love you and I don't regret it. Not one second of it."

"Mark...I love you, too." She responded.

"So you don't think it was so stupid?" He laughed slightly.

"No, it was very stupid. It was stupid and reckless...but maybe it just wasn't so wrong." Lexie conceded. "You just make me nervous."

"You think you don't make me nervous?"

"How can I? You're Mark Sloan and I'm...me." She sighed.

"I get so uneasy when you are around me, I'm so anxious to make you smile and when you touch me, forget it." He told her.

"Really?"

"Absolutely." He assured her.

"Look, can we talk about this more in person? This feels awkward, discussing something like this over the phone." Lexie asked.

"Yeah. I'm not on call today, so you can come by anytime, or I can stop by Meredith's. Whichever is easier for you." Mark offered.

"I can see if Mer can keep Haley for a bit and I can come by in about an hour."

"That would be fine. So I'll see you soon, then?" Mark said.

"Yeah." Lexie smiled. "I'll see you soon."

Lexie headed downstairs, where her mini-me was standing on a chair, next to the kitchen counter, her face smudged with pancake batter.

"What happened to you?" Lexie chuckeled, grabbing a paper towel and starting to wash her face off.

"I made pancakes." Haley smiled.

"I see." She told her daughter. "But let's get you cleaned up so can eat, okay?"

"My tummy's so hungry." Haley said.

"Alright, scoot." Lexie laughed, playfully swatting her with the paper towel.

Haley ran over to the dining room table where Meredith and Derek were setting up breakfast.

"So, who was on the phone?" Meredith asked her sister, with an arch of her eyebrow.

"Seriously?" Lexie asked, placing Haley in her booster seat. "You know who it was, Mer."

"You're right. I was just looking for an in." She stated. "So what happened? Did you cave?"

"No." She laughed while taking her own seat. "I am supposed to go over to his place and talk things over."

"Talk things over?" Meredith asked, skeptically.

"Yes." Lexie defended. "There are things that are just...messy. I need them sorted out once and for all."

"Okay. I see." Meredith sighed. "Derek can take Haley and Zola to the park."

"Are you sure?" Lexie asked. " I don't want to pawn her off on you guys."

"Are you kidding?" Derek chimed in. "She's my niece. I love spending time with her. The more I see her, the better."

"Okay." Lexie said, giving up.

After breakfast, Lexie meticulously picked out an outfit. She settled on a pair of jeans with a small hole at the knee, an old Harvard t-shirt, and a pair of Converse high tops. She played with her hair for ten minutes before ultimately deciding to leave it down. She drove over to Mark's apartment building, rode the excruitiatingly long elevator ride, and knocked on the familiar door with the _501. _After a few seconds, the door swung open and Lexie mentally prepared herself.

"Hey, you." Mark greeted. "Come on in."

"Hey." Lexie replied.

"Have a seat." He gestured to the couch. "Do you want some water or anything?"

"You don't have to cater to me, Mark." She laughed. "I lived here for almost three years."

"And what about in the coming years?" He said with his trademark smirk.

"Mark." She walked over to the kitchen counter where he was standing. "Everything in me is screaming at me to come back."

"But?" He looked down.

"No." She said.

"Lexie, come on." Mark grew irritated.

"No. I mean, no 'but'." Lexie grinned. "I miss you...so much it hurts. I don't want to hurt like this anymore."

"Me either."

"But can we settle on something, please?"

"Anything." Mark moved to the same side of the counter, where Lexie was standing.

"No more secrets." She said bluntly. "Secrets tend to be our downfall."

"I know." He agreed. "No more secrets."

"Good." Lexie smiled. "So what do we do now?"

"We could make it official." Mark suggested.

"Does your mind live in the bedroom?" Lexie laughed.

Mark laughed with her. "I meant with a dinner. You know, you, me, and the kiddo. And you say I think dirty."

"A dinner would be great." She told him. "Then we can just stay?"

"You had better stay." Mark said, pulling her close and placing a light kiss on her lips.

"I'll have to." She looked up at him. "Especially, if you plan on more of that."

"There's plenty of that in store for you." He promised.

"Okay." She looked at the floor. "I should go back to Meredith's...I'll need to grab Haley before dinner."

"I can't wait." Mark said, brushing her hair away from her face and kissing her again.

"That makes two of us." Lexie smiled. "I'll see you tonight."

Lexie made it to the bottom floor of the building and felt like she was walking on air. She was deliriously happy and it had seemed she hadn't felt this way for an eternity. She was ready to get things back to where they were supposed to be. More than that, she was ready to keep them that way.

**I know this chapter was a little shorter, but it is better than nothing. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and what you think about Eric Dane leaving the show. Thanks for all the support. Peace, Love, & Grey's Anatomy! **


	53. Chapter 53

**Sorry it has taken so long for this update. I have been experiancing some technical difficulties. Anyway I still hope that you guys enjoy this chapter all the same. Thanks for all the love! XOXO**

"How long is this...what is it?" Mark asked, sitting on the bed as Lexie stood across from him, folding clothes into a suitcase.

"It's the Neurosurgical Annual Conference." Lexie giggled, placing a shirt on top of her pile. "Derek invited me to tag along this year. It lasts a week."

"A whole week, Lex? Come on." He sighed, resting on his elbow. "Whatever will I do without you?"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you will have Haley to keep you busy. She is a handful, trust me. You won't even notice that I'm gone."

"I'll notice." Mark said. "Lexie we just got back on track. Are you sure taking off for a week is wise?"

"Mark." She began. "I can't put my career on hold. This is a rare opportunity and I can't just pass it up. We will be fine. It's only seven days. It will fly by, I promise."

Lexie walked over to where Mark was laying and slowly lowered herself on top of him.

"Besides." She told him. "I can make sure you won't forget me."

"How so?" He asked with intrigue.

"I can be very creative, Dr. Sloan. I can make this small break extremely worth your while." Lexie said seductively.

"I like that." He mumbled as she kissed him deeply, earning a groan in response.

"Haley." He said, as they broke apart.

"Napping." Lexie answered, removing her shirt and kissing him again.

"Let me guess?" Mark laughed, breaking the kiss. "You want me to teach you?"

Lexie pulled his shirt over his head and began to work on his belt buckle. "I think _I_ might end up teaching _you_."

Meanwhile, Derek was packing his things while Meredith held Zola as she stood in the doorway.

"So, are you sure the daycare is going to be okay for Zola?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine." Meredith reassured him. "I am just gonna miss you, Dr. Shepherd."

"I'll be home before you know it, Mrs. Shepherd." He chuckled, walking over and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"So when are you picking up Lexie?" She asked.

"In about 15 minutes. The earlier we get to the airport the better." Derek answered, zipping his luggage. "So that's the last of it."

Meredith walked her husband to the front door and hugged him tightly, Zola slightly smushed in the middle.

"You be good for your mother, you got it?" Derek told his daughter. "I love you."

"We love you, too." Meredith said with a smile. "Have a safe flight and call me when you get to Boston."

"I will. I promise." He said, kissing her and closing the door behind him.

"Okay." Lexie said, pushing her hair behind her ears. "ID, purse...oh! My phone!" She rushed to the kitchen and grabbed her BlackBerry from the countertop.

"Would you relax?" Mark chuckled, rubbing his chin with his hand. "You will be fine."

"Well, what can I say? You make me flustered." She said, Mark pinning her against the counter and kissing her again. "Stop. Derek will be here any minute."

"Okay." He backed away. "Where is this conference anyway?"

"Boston." She answered. "It's been a long time since I have seen it."

"Planning on adventuring your old stomping grounds?" Mark asked.

"I don't know how much down time I will have, but we shall see."

Just then, the buzzer for the building door went off, telling them both that Derek was waiting downstairs.

"That's me." She told him. "Hales!"

The tiny brunette bounded into the living room.

"Give Mommy a goodbye hug." Mark said.

"I love you, nugget." Lexie said, holding her tightly. "Be a good girl, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy." Haley smiled, twirling a stray piece of Lexie's hair.

"Bye, baby."

"It's see you soon." She corrected her mother. " 'Member?"

"I remember." Lexie said, standing up and hugging Mark before grabbing her bag.

"I'll call you, okay?" She told him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Be safe." He told her, watching as she heading to the elevator, waving goodbye.

"Hey, little sis." Derek smiled as Lexie walked through the glass door and tossed her suitcase in the backseat. "You ready for some fun?"

"Let's do it." She replied.

The trip to the airport was smooth. Derek waited patiently as she removed her watch and other pieces of jewelry as she made her way through security, and made sure their tickets were correct before making their way to the small cafe and waiting over a cup of coffee.

"So things are smooth for you?" Derek asked his little sister-in-law.

"I think so." Lexie sipped at her coffee. "I'm happy. Haley is happy. Mark seems happy. I think I actually might have a grip on things, now."

"That sounds great." He said, touching her hand. "Meredith and I have been thinking about you guys lately."

"I know." She told him. "Meredith's been pretty great. I can't thank you guys enough for everything."

"It's no problem at all." Derek reassured her. "You're family."

"Thanks."

"So, are you looking forward to the conference in Boston?" He segued.

"Yeah." She smiled. "It feels weird to be going back to the place I used to call home for so long. Just a little odd, I guess."

"Harvard must have been fun for you. Really great memories?"

"Of course." Lexie said. "Alot of fun and alot of great people. Plus, Harvard got me here, to Seattle Grace."

"Yeah." He agreed.

"Flight 147 to Boston, Massachusetts is now boarding at gate 5A."

"That's us." Lexie said, taking a drink of her coffee and standing to her feet. "Shall we?" She said, holding out her arm.

"Come on, Little Grey." Derek laughed, linking his arm with hers.

The flight went completely according to plan. Lexie thanked God for that. She was always a nervous flyer and she felt that it was backed by good reason. She could barely breathe let alone move on a plane for fear that the whole thing could fall out from underneath her. She knew she was paranoid and sometimes it got the best of her, but she also knew that some things couldn't be helped. She and Derek got off the flight in one piece, waited patiently for their luggage, only to find Derek's bag while her own had been lost somewhere in transition. After 20 minutes and two annoying flight attendants, Lexie was reunited with her belongings. A long, exhausting car ride later and she found herself in a swanky hotel room with monogrammed towels and chocolate pillow mints. She could definately get used to this. She dropped her purse and suitcase and kicked her shoes off before flopping down on the king sized mattress that felt like you were laying on a cloud. She sighed and took in the heavenly bed, before pulling out her phone and hitting 1 on her speed dial.

"Hello?" Mark answered, groggily after four rings.

"Hey, honey." Lexie replied. "I survived."

"Did you doubt that you would?" He asked, amused.

"Hey, 28% of flights go down because of mechanical error, sabotage, or other error."

"I know, sweetie, you have read me the statistics a million times."

"Are you annoyed with me? Is that annoyance I hear in your voice, mister?" She giggled.

"Never." Mark replied.

"You better watch your step or I might hold out on you." She threatened.

"Would never happen. You would cave in to my charm, eventually." He told her.

"We'll see about that. " She paused. "I should let you get some sleep."

"No. I can talk to you for hours." He groaned.

"I would love to, honey, but I have an early morning." Lexie apologized. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Promises, promises."

"Mm-hm. I love you." She parted.

"Love you, babe."

Lexie hung up the phone and didn't bother changing clothes, she was far too exhausted for that. She threw her jeans on the floor along with her jacket and crawled into the jumbo comforter, slowly drifting to her dreams.

**I know this chapter was a little short on Slexie, but I kinda wanted to give her some big brother time with Derek like Shonda Rhimes did. It is so much fun to write. Anyway, leave your thoughts below, I love to hear what you guys think. Thank you so much for your continued love and support! XOXO**


	54. Chapter 54

**I know it has been awhile, but here it is. I got kinda carried away with my other story which I am still shocked by the success of both of these. Without further ado...**

"I miss you." Lexie spoke into the phone.

"My teddy." Haley answered, clearly preoccupied.

"Haley?" She tried. "Hales?"

"Haley, did you say I love you to Mommy?" She heard Mark coerce.

"No." She answered.

"Don't you think you should?" He tried.

"Later, Daddy!" She ran to her bedroom as Mark came back to the phone.

"I have been replaced." Lexie said. "By an insipid teddy bear."

"She's just tired. She gets a little wired when she's tired." He explained.

"I know." She sighed. "So do you miss me yet?"

"Nah." Mark joked.

"Mark Sloan!"

"I'm kidding. Of course, I miss you." He replied. "So when are you heading back anyway?"

"I have a flight for early the day after tomorrow. No layover so it should be fast." She told him. "The faster, the better, because I miss you guys like crazy."

"Well, that goes both ways."

"Okay, I should get some sleep. Please make sure that Haley bathes, okay?"

"I will." He sounded annoyed.

"And don't give her any of that Cap'n Crunch before bed because you know how she gets with sugar." She continued.

"I know, hon."

"And put the rainforest sounds cd on for her, so that she falls asleep and stays asleep-"

"Lex. I got this." He cut her off.

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too, babe."

"So does he know?" Derek asked as she hung up.

"Nope. He is completely clueless."

"Flight 136, to Seattle, Washington is now ready for takeoff. Please fasten your seatbelts." The pilot announced on the intercom.

The next morning, Lexie arrived in Seattle, on time and couldn't wait to surprise Mark and Haley, who were not expecting her for another day or two. She nervously picked at her cuticles on the cab ride to the apartment. She didn't do surprises well. She remembered the last surprise she planned, the birthday party for Arizona. It ended with her leaving in tears, she slowly began to doubt herself. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. The cab pulled up outside her building. She got out, paid the driver and grabbed her bag before staring at the building and letting out a sigh of relief. She was home.

Lexie let herself in the front door and placed her bag on the floor, no one was in sight.

"I'm home!" She called out, opening the bedroom door to find an empty, made-up bed.

She quickly walked to Haley's room, opening the door to find her toddler bed, empty and made as well. She was confused. Where were they? She slowly walked to the living room and sunk into the couch. Nothing left to do but wait.

_2 hours later..._

Lexie laid asleep on the couch, after an hour of waiting and being awake on the overnight flight, she succumbed to her fatigue and passed out. Mark walked a sleeping Haley to her room and placed her in bed before returning to his sleeping wife and lightly waking her.

"Honey." He whispered.

"Hmm..." Lexie slowly became alert. "I'm awake."

"What are you doing here?" He smiled sitting next to her as she sat up.

"Damn it!" She said, frustrated. "I was supposed to be awake so I could surprise you."

"I'm surprised." Mark replied, placing a small kiss on her lips.

"Don't humor me." She told him. "It was supposed to be better than this."

"Nothing is better than coming home to you." He tried.

"Except maybe coming home to me awake?" Lexie sulked.

"Lex." He couldn't help but chuckle at her slight anger at her failed surprise attempt.

"This is the last time I try anything like this." She vowed.

"So how was the trip?" He asked, pulling her close.

"Boring." She shared. "I love Neurosurgery, but I really, really missed you and my baby."

"We missed you more than you'll know."

"Where is my kid anyway?" She asked, looking around the room.

"I took her to the park this morning and she fell asleep on the ride back. I put her in bed so she could get some rest since we have been having a few rough nights." Mark explained.

"Hmm."

"What do you mean?"

"What do say to going into the other room and having a little reunion of our own?" Lexie said with an eyebrow raise.

"I say, I thought you'd never ask." Mark chuckled as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

**Sorry this update took a little longer than expected but having two stories going at the same time is a lot of work and I really wanted to get the second story on it's feet. I hope you enjoyed and please remember to leave your thoughts and comments in a review. Love & Grey's!**


	55. Chapter 55

**The reception to the last few chapters has been so great and I honestly felt stunted on where to take this story next, but I am hoping that this chapter does the trick. Without further ado...enjoy! **

"I am just saying, I have a three year old in there and it would be really nice if you could practice a little bit of human decency!" Mark could hear Lexie in the apartment hallway.

"I actually don't remember making my rent check out to you."

"Well, maybe you should!" Lexie fired back.

"What the hell is going on?" Mark asked, pulling Lexie to the side.

"This asshole-"

"You can't just call me an asshole!" The neighbor added.

"This _asshole _next door kept blaring his ESPN all night, last night. Haley didn't sleep at all last night and neither did I, for that matter." She explained.

"Not my problem, lady."

"Whoa! Okay." Mark stepped in. "Lex, why don't you head on inside and finish Haley's breakfast."

Exasperated, she turned on her heel and stormed inside.

"Look, what's your name?" Mark asked.

"Brandon." He held out his hand. "Brandon West."

"Brandon, I'm Mark." He continued. "Look, I know you are new here and all, but unless you want your time here to be a living hell, I would listen to what my wife says. Because, if my daughter doesn't sleep, she isn't happy and when my little girl isn't happy, I get a little cranky. I would hate to have to take it out on you, are we clear?"

"We're clear."

"Good." He smiled. "Have a great day, Brandon."

"What an idiot!" Mark let out, walking back through the door.

"Idiot!" Haley repeated from her booster seat at the table.

"Haley Grace." Lexie scolded. "No, ma'am. We don't say things like that in this home, do we?"

"But Daddy did." She whined.

"And now what does Daddy have to do?"

"He gots to give Mommy a quarter!" She cheered.

"That's right, pumpkin." Mark kissed her cheek, handing Lexie a coin from his pocket. "You got me."

"I got you." Haley laughed back, using her fork to feed him a piece of fruit.

"Okay." Lexie sighed as she took a spot across the table from Mark. "I have an appointment for Haley today at three-thirty with Dr. Wallace. Do you want to take her or would you rather I did?"

"Why don't we both take her?" He asked, making faces at his little girl, causing her to laugh in return.

"Doesn't one of us have to be at the residents' meeting for the apartment building?"

"No." Mark said with a full mouth. "It was cancelled."

"Oh...okay. Then we're both in."

"No doctor." Lexie's mini-me said with a frown.

"Honey, we have to make sure you're all healthy." Lexie said with a smile.

"I all healthy." She raised her arms in confusion. "I feel like Supergirl!"

"I bet you are Supergirl, sweetie, but we're still going." Lexie giggled at the little girl.

"Ah, rats." Haley began to pout.

"I know." Lexie rubbed her back, soothingly. "But Daddy's coming with us."

"Can I have candy after, Daddy?"

"What?!" Mark asked in fake shock. "I don't give you candy."

"Yeah-huh." She nodded vigorously.

"Really, Daddy?" Lexie smirked at him. "Candy, huh?"

"Well..."

"Is that how you get her to behave for you? You bribe her with sugar?" She asked.

"Someone's gotta be the good cop." Mark winked at her.

"Uh-huh." She scoffed, popping a grape in her mouth.

Later that afternoon, Lexie and Mark sat in a small exam room with Haley playing with her teddy bear as she sat on the table. Lexie flipped absent-mindedly through an old issue of People magazine. Mark just sighed and looked at his watch every five seconds.

"Okay, Ms. Haley?" Dr. Wallace asked, walking in.

"That's me." The small child smiled.

"Alright. What do you say we make sure you are as healthy as can be?"

"I healthy." Haley nodded. "Mommy and Daddy are doctors."

"I see, but can I take a look, too?" He coaxed.

"Come on, Hales." Lexie nodded.

"Just a quick peek, babe." Mark added.

Haley sighed in defeat. "Okay."

After the quick, routine checkup, Dr. Wallace jotted some quick notes and turned Mark and Lexie.

"Everything seems perfectly fine."

"Seems?" Mark chimed in. "What do you mean seems?"

"Mark."

"I am saying you have a perfecty healthy little girl." The doctor chuckled. "A little rambunctious, it seems, but healthy."

"Thank you so much." Lexie shook his hand.

"You're welcome." He said, shaking Mark's hand. "You guys take care."

"Thanks." Mark added. "You ready to get out of here, kiddo?"

"YES!" Haley cheered, jumping into her father's arms.

"Meredith invited us to lunch." Lexie shared, putting her phone in her purse as she pulled herself into their SUV.

Mark closed Haley's door and climbed behind the steering wheel. "That sounds like fun. Haley can play with Zola. Did you say yes?"

"I did." She leaned over placing a light kiss on his lips. "I love you."

"I love you." He replied.

"I love...ice cream!" Haley called from the backseat.

"She is your daughter." Lexie laughed. "She gets that from you."

"She gets the best parts from me. We're Sloans. It's what we do."

"Okay." She rolled her eyes.

As they cruised along, Mark grabbed Lexie's hand, pulling it up to place a kiss on her palm. Lexie leaned her head back against the seat and smiled. Her smile quickly faded when she saw the truck headed straight for them.

"Mark, look out!"

**I apologize in advance for the reviews that I will get for this. It just seemed like the proper place to take this story. I hope to start work on the next chapter in the next couple of days and I cannot wait! Until then, my darlings!**


	56. Chapter 56

**I didn't want you guys to wait for too long. I know the cliffhanger was pretty intense. So without further waiting, here you guys go! Enjoy! **

Flashes. That's all Lexie Grey could remember from the horrific events that had taken place just 72 hours ago. Certain parts were gone, lost amid all the trauma. Other parts were harder to lose, like the gut-wrenching sound of her daughter screaming for her or the metallic taste of the blood that coated her mouth. Lexie felt her eyelids slowly fluttering open leaving her to find Meredith sitting in the chair next to her bed.

"Thank God." She breathed out as she leaned forward and grabbed her sister's hand. Lexie responded with a small cough. "What is it?"

"Haley." Lexie choked out. "Where is she?"

"She is home with Derek. She only had a few scratches on her and they bandaged her up and sent her with us."

"What about Mark?"

"Sweetie, you really should try to rest." Meredith tried.

"Mark!" Lexie found her voice. "Where is he?"

"He is in another room, in the neurosurgical wing."

"Neuro? What...what happened?" Lexie began to panic.

"Look, the important thing is that you are all alive." She began, taking her little sister's hand as she tried to find the right words. "When the truck collided with you guys, Mark was thrown from the car. He suffered some significant brain damage. Right now, he is out of it and we are waiting to see if he will wake up."

"Wait. He's in a coma?"

"Yes." Meredith said, hesitantly.

"Wha- I wanna see him." She began to cry.

"Lexie, I don't think-"

"I want to see him now!" She yelled as she broke down.

"I'll go find Avery so we can get you up."

Slowly, Jackson wheeled a bruised and healing Lexie into a quiet room, the only sounds were the intermittent beeping resonating from the numerous monitors that stood around the room. She felt her breath catch in the back of her throat and suddenly she couldn't think.

"What are the odds?" She asked as she cradled Mark's frail hand in her own.

"About fifty-fifty." Jackson answered.

"Fifty-fifty?" Lexie repeated barely above a whisper. "How long can we wait?"

"As long as you want, but the longer we wait the less likely it is that he will wake up."

"He'll wake up." Lexie said, sniffling her tears.

"Lexie-"

"NO! He will wake up!" She shouted before collapsing her face into her hands. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Lex."

"Can I be alone with him, please?" She asked. "I want to be with my husband."

"Absolutely." He walked to the door. "Just hit the call button if you need anything."

"Thank you, Jackson."

After Dr. Avery closed the sliding door, Lexie sniffled and sighed deeply. Then she began to speak.

"What did you do?" She whispered to a nonresponsive Mark. "Why did you go and do that, huh? I bet you thought you were being some kind of a hero, but in all honesty, this is probably the stupidest thing you have done, Mark."

Silence surrounded the couple.

"I need you here." She continued. "I know you probably don't agree with that and you may think that I will be fine on my own, but that isn't for to decide. Not without discussing it with me."

She was now bawling.

"You have to wake up, because I can't go back to my life without you. I can't raise our daughter without you. She needs you there. You know exactly how to pour her cereal and you get rid of the monsters under the bed. You know her most special secret tickle spot and you give her those airplane rides she loves so much. You make her laugh harder than anyone I have ever seen her with and she needs that. She needs her daddy."

Silence.

"Mark, please." Lexie slowly broke down, resting her head on Mark's lifeless body, crying herself to sleep.

_3 Hours Later..._

"Lexie?" Derek gently woke his sleeping sister-in-law. "Lexie."

"What?" She jolted from her prior state. "Mark! I'm up."

"Shhh...nothing's happened. I just thought you might be more comfortable in your own bed." He suggested.

"No, I'm not leaving him."

"Lexie..."

"I'm not leaving him, Derek." She stayed firm. "He wouldn't leave if it were me in that bed. I can't do that to him and I can't do that to Haley."

"All right, all right." He forfeited. "I'll have Olivia bring in a cot for you."

"You know, this stopped being cute about four hours ago." Lexie began talking to Mark again about an hour after Derek left her. "You gotta wake up, because I'm starting to get a little pissed at you."

Silence. The only sound Lexie could hear was her heart beating like a sledgehammer.

"You thought you could just leave? Like I wouldn't notice?" She paused. "Damn it! Just stop! Stop playing this stupid, pointless game!"

She began to lose all composure.

"I am here. I am here and I am begging you with every last piece of dignity that I have left. Do not leave me like this." She wiped her tears. "I'm not done with you. We haven't gotten a chance to have a son. We haven't seen Haley bring home a report card. I wanna be sitting next to you, watching our grandkids run around outside. Please, please don't quit on me. Don't give out on me, just yet, okay?"

"He won't." Jackson spoke from the door. "Sorry. I was just coming by to get his vitals."

Lexie sniffled. "Okay."

"He's gonna wake up." He told her, as he scribbled on the chart in his hand. "Most of us around here, we don't have a whole lot to stick around for. We kind of grow used to the feeling of being alone. But Sloan, there's no way he'd leave you or Haley. Just give him time."

"Thanks, Jackson."

"Anytime." He grinned. "Get some rest."

"Jackson."

"Yeah?"

"You will find someone or something to stick around for." She shrugged. "Until then, you got me at least."

"Thanks, Lexie."

That night Lexie tossed and turned. She swore at numerous times during the night she had heard Mark move or cough or say her name. Every time she turned to check, however, she was greeted by the harsh reality that everything was exactly as the last time she had seen it. Mark still laid lifeless and everything was still dark and uncertain, making it that much harder to find the peace and calm to fall asleep. It was mental torture and it became exhausting.

_Three Days Later..._

Meredith walked into Mark's hospital room, finding her sister zipping up a small, black bag.

"What's going on?" She inquired.

"I'm heading home." Lexie answered robotically. She showed less and less emotion with time. "I need to take Haley home and give her some semblance of normalcy."

"Okay...but you'll be back right?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "I just can't keep sitting here all day, torturing myself."

"Torture?" Meredith was confused.

"You heard Jackson. The more time passes, the less likely it is that he'll even wake up."

"Don't listen to Jackson. He is Plastics, not Neuro. He doesn't know his temporal lobe from his testicles." She argued.

"He is right, Mer." Lexie sighed. "I need to start facing the reality that Mark may not be coming back to me...ever. I think you all need to start facing it too."

"Lexie..."

"I should go." Lexie walked through the door before Meredith could protest otherwise.

Meredith just sighed. "Damn it, Mark." She whispered to the lifeless man in the bed. "Wake up!"

**I know that this chapter took a million years to get up but my computer crashed and I had to send it off for repairs but thank you to those of you who have been so patient. Please review because it makes me giddy. Until next time! XOXO**


	57. Chapter 57

**I feel like readers are slowly dropping off of this story. It is understandable since I can't update as often as I'd like. Anyway, my die-hards are still here and you guys mean the world to me. For you...ENJOY! : D**

"Why won't you come to the hospital?" Meredith asked her younger sister who seemed to be ignoring her as she focused on the contents she was placing in Haley's go-bag. "Lexie!"

"What?" She snapped back to reality.

"The hospital?" Meredith said slowly. "I thought you were going to come and sit with Mark today."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I have stuff to do." Lexie continued rushing.

"What stuff?"

"Just...stuff!" She sighed, dropping the small bear she was holding in her hand. "Look, Mer, just...stop probing, okay? It's just not going to work today, alright? Just give it a rest."

Meredith just shook her head. "I don't get you."

"What's to get?"

"Mark is fighting for his life." Meredith's voice grew louder. She knew there was no getting through to Lexie. "He could be in his last moments and what are you doing? Making play dates and brushing it off like nothing has happened!"

"You think that I don't understand what's going on?" Lexie stood in disbelief. "I know perfectly well that this could be it...but if I am sitting there next to him while he...when he goes, I won't move on, Mer. I won't recover. A few years ago, that would have been fine and I could have afforded to be a mess and mourn my loss without a care. But now, I have someone that I have to hold it together for."

"Lexie..."

"No." She gained her composure. "I don't get to fall apart, because the second I do, Haley's lost me too."

"He's going to wake up."

"And I hope against hope that he does." She replied. "But I also have to be aware that there is a chance that he won't."

"Okay." Meredith sighed in forfeit. "Well, if you _happen _to find the time, I think it would be really great if you could stop by."

Meredith slowly exited the apartment as Lexie sunk down, taking a seat on the couch. She knew she was coming off like she didn't care, but she knew that she couldn't show herself caring too much. She didn't need Haley asking questions about why she was so sad.

"Mommy!" Lexie quickly pulled herself together.

"Yes, baby?" She answered.

"Is Daddy still on his trip?" She asked, brushing her brown curls out of her face.

"Yeah. I'm afraid he is."

"When's he gonna come home?" Haley added, holding up fourn fingers. "Do he knows he missed this many dinners?"

"He's just having his dinners somewhere else, baby."

She groaned.

"Hey." Lexie nudged her daughter. "You ready to go to your play group?"

"Can we watch Nemo, instead?" Haley looked at her with her big blue eyes, so clearly Mark's.

"Yeah." She melted easily, tossing the bag to the side. "Let's watch Nemo instead."

"I tried." Meredith spoke, more to the room than Mark. "She's just about lost all the hope that she has. She is staying so strong for Haley and I respect that. Believe me, as a mother, I do, but who is being strong for you?"

The machines just beeped in response.

"Mark, you gotta wake up. Just come back to her. My sister needs you, because...right now she's forgotten how to smile and it is no coincidence that those smiles were tied to you. So...if I get her in here then, I need you to open your eyes. Deal?"

"Did you like the movie, Hales?" Lexie asked, turning the tv off with the remote.

"Yep." She answered with heavy eyes. "Do you think Daddy will come back home like Nemo did?"

"I hope so, bug." She held her little girl tight. "You ready for bed?"

"The monsters are under my bed again."

"I'll go get rid of them, okay?"

"No." Haley protested. "Only Daddy knows how."

"Oh." Lexie responded.

"I wanna sleep in your bed." She pouted.

"Honey."

"Please."

"Okay." Lexie caved. "I could use the company."

Haley laid snug, fast asleep, right by Lexie's side in the enormous king size bed. Their bodies laid similar, showing more than just their physical resemblance. There was no denying that Haley was a miniature Lexie. Her mother, however, was wide awake. She couldn't help but feel like a huge piece of her was missing and she knew that was due to the fact that she had gone days without seeing her husband. She slowly moved, careful so as not to wake the sleeping child next to her and grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." She spoke barely above a whisper. "I hate to ask this, but can you come stay with Haley for the night? I wasnted to go be with Mark."

"Yeah. I'll be right over." Callie answered sleepily.

Within minutes, Callie had arrived from across the hall, greeted by Lexie who had thrown on a tshirt, jeans, and some sneakers.

"Thank you for doing this."

"Not a problem." Callie hugged her. "Tell him hi for me."

"Of course." She smiled. "Haley is out like a light. She is in our bed, she says monsters are under hers."

Callie giggled. "I'll crash on the couch."

"No, don't be silly." Lexie told her. "There is plenty of room in there next to her. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"Okay. Take your time."

Seattle Grace Mercy West looked as dead as she felt on the inside. Most of the people were gone. Visiting hours were over and other residents and interns had already headed home after their shifts. She walked into Mark's room and pulled the small cot in the corner over next to his bed. Kicking her shoes off, she crawled onto the makeshift bed and pulled his arm close so that she could hold it as she fell asleep.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier." She whispered. "But I'm here now and I'm gonn stay for a while."

_The next morning..._

Lexie slowly turned over, her eyes fluttering open to adjust to the new lighting. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. It took a split second for her to leap from her bed.

"Nurse? Nurse?!" She yelled at the girl walking by.

"It's Candace." She said, clearly annoyed.

"Okay. Candace, where's my husband?" She was panicked.

"Who's your husband?"

"Mark Sloan! Where is he?!" She grew more and more frantic.

"I'll call Dr. Shepherd. He'll explain." Candace walked away.

She knew this was it. He was gone and they had taken him to the morgue while she slept. She began to break down.

"Just tell me where he is?!" She yelled after Candace.

"Turn around, beautiful." She heard behind her in a voice that caused her breath to catch in her throat.

She turned to find Mark being pushed on a gurney by Derek and immediately she began to sob.

"Hey." He chuckled as he tried to console her. "Come here."

"I thought you were gone."

Derek pushed the gurney into the empty room and helped Mark back into his bed.

"When he woke, I took him down for a precautionary CT." Derek explained. "I was hoping to have him back in time to surprise you."

"I thought you had left me." She sniffled as she climbed in the bed next to him. "You wouldn't wake up."

"I'm sorry, baby." He held her close. "There's no way I was going to let you raise our little girl alone...or our little boy."

"What?"

"I heard you." Mark told her. "When you were talking to me. You said that we hadn't had the chance to meet our son and you were right. We have so much stuff they we haven't gotten to yet."

"You can't ever do that to me again, okay?" Lexie laid her head on his shoulder. "I won't allow it."

"Got it." He smirked as he held her. "I'm not going anywhere."

**This chapter rolled out alot easier than I had anticipated. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for all the support and I hope to have the next chapter up soon! XOXO**


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